Dont put your puppy in a cargo hold!!!

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 Hi I am new to this forum. I just got a puppy and started doing some research and found this website. Glad to be here!!
I would like the administrator to sticky one part of my post if they would.
I am an airline pilot, and I see abuse on a DAILY basis at work. Animals left in crates in the extreme cold and heat are pretty bad, but what I have seen in the past several years makes me sick.
You see, it gets COLD in the cargo compartment. It is pressurized, but we don't turn on the heat back there unless the ground personnel let us know that there is an animal being shipped. I can't tell you how many times I have flown a 2-3 hour flight only to find a shivering puppy or kitten that I didn't know about. I have started to run the heat on EVERY flight, but very few pilots do this.
Also, rampers sometimes leave puppies/kittens within feet of a howling APU (Auxiliary generator) That can produce as much as 150 decibels. Imagine being that puppy in pain from the noise. It would be a life altering event for them!! Especially as sensitive as their hearing is!!!!
I have tried in vain to advise MY company and ground personnel, but trust me THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR DOG/CAT. As long as your pet LIVES then it is acceptable to them.
I am POWERLESS to do anything so I am starting a campaign. Please help!! Call your local I-team TV investigators, they love this stuff. The FAA doesn't care, the airlines don't care 20/20 doesn't care. Please call them and ask them to do a story.
And most of all. DO NOT EVER, EVER SHIP YOUR PETS IN A CRATE. THEY COULD BE TRAUMATIZED FOR LIFE!! Make alternative plans for your pet. Carry them on board, drive or leave them at home.

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What about moving from North Africa to North America with a big dog? I can't drive that or carry him on board.

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Well, it is a bit difficult to drive from one continent to another. I had to fly a Boxer and 2 cats from South Africa to Switzerland ~ either that or rehome them, which certainly wasn't an option. It went very well and they arrived the other side none the worse for wear and were very excited to see us. When we returned from Europe back to SA, we had to fly our French Bulldog back with us ~ again, leaving her behind was totally out of the question. We flew with Lufthansa and I was on the same flight as her. I checked a billion times with the cabin crew to make sure that the pilot knew that there was (precious) cargo in the hold. Everything went very well, bearing in mind that it was a flight from Zurich to Frankfurt, then Frankfurt to Cape Town. My Frenchie was in her crate for plus minus 22 hours and walked out of it at Cape Town airport as though nothing had happened. I won't say I wasn't terrified, but sometimes we have no choice in the matter.

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Hello and welcome and thank you for that info. I have heard that animals are not treated well on flights also knew a baggage handler that said they actually fling the containers holding these dear little ones . Think I will do what you say we have a great team here in Las Vegas that willl jump on something like that. Thanks.

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I never ship my puppies. We decided a long time ago when we first started breeding Yorkies that we just couldn't do it and so we haven't. We either provide delivery service to the new owner's airport or allow the new owner to fly here and take the pup with them as carry-on. It is a little more expensive for the buyers but I don't have to worry about the conditions you are talking about. I can't imagine how stressful and frightening it is for puppies who are put in cargo holds of airplanes and I just won't put my babies through that. Good job you are doing to try to inform others of the risks to their dogs and puppies when they fly them cargo.

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I've seen how they handle regular luggage. My dad and I watched them load our plane while waiting in the terminal and the guy would either throw luggage on the conveyor belt or slam it down. He could easily have picked up bags and placed them on the conveyor belt, but he chose to slam bags around. We hoped nobody had anything breakable in their luggage.

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I suppose if I had to, I would, but I'd be sick about it. The noise from the engines is exhausting when you're in the cabin; I can't imagine the effect of being in the hold.

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As a former long term airline employee (10+ years) and having numerous family members who have or are airline employees, I take umbrage to your post.
#1) dogs who are accustomed to them are not "traumatized for life" by being shipped in a crate.
#2) yes, an APU can be loud. Pets however are usually loaded last and kept on the cart until the last moment.
#3) it could be cooler or warmer in the cargo bin, esp. on taxi out and taxi in, but most dogs are pretty tolerant of these temperature variations. I don't ship if the ambient outside temp is going to be above 75 degrees. With smaller breeds, bedding can lessen the impact of cooler temps in the bin. Heat is the main enemy when shipping dogs.
Your post will make many people have great fear about something that the majority of dogs tolerate very well. Sometimes shipping is a necessity. If proper preparations are undertaken, it should not be anything for the dog OR the owner to worry about.

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Maybe things are different on different airlines?

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I suppose if I had to, I would, but I'd be sick about it. The noise from the engines is exhausting when you're in the cabin; I can't imagine the effect of being in the hold.
It sounds the same in there as it does in the cabin.
The only thing separating you from the cargo bin is the floor inside the cabin.

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I've seen how they handle regular luggage. My dad and I watched them load our plane while waiting in the terminal and the guy would either throw luggage on the conveyor belt or slam it down. He could easily have picked up bags and placed them on the conveyor belt, but he chose to slam bags around. We hoped nobody had anything breakable in their luggage.
Those people have THOUSANDS of bags to handle in every kind of weather, plus pressure to keep the flight on time.
live animals are not to be placed on any conveyor, they are to be hand loaded.

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https://www.aacargo.com/shipping/animals.jhtml

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Those people have THOUSANDS of bags to handle in every kind of weather, plus pressure to keep the flight on time.
live animals are not to be placed on any conveyor, they are to be hand loaded.
No, he picked up a bag and SLAMMED it down on the conveyor belt on purpose! He wasn't just tossing it on there.

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It sounds the same in there as it does in the cabin. The only thing separating you from the cargo bin is the floor inside the cabin.
Yes, and I have much less acute hearing than my dog and I resort to headphones or earplugs by about an hour into a flight, every time. And I can move around the cabin a bit, know that the flight is not going to go on forever, and have someone to talk to. I'm not saying the airlines are terrible, but the experience of flying seems very likely to be awful for many pets.

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I was wondering the same thing, sometimes people get pets from Germany, or other parts of the world. What can be done to keep them safe, since this siutation may be unaviodable.

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Thank you for your advice coopervane.
I am sure not all airlines are like this but unless a person is with a dog being flown at all times no one can say for sure what the experience is like, even a former airline employee.
That wouyld be like me saying because I worked for a certain phone company that all phone companies had the same customer service. Every airline is different. Rules are in place so things like this don't happen, but how often are rules followed, and how many people just don't give a rip about animals? Quite a few I think.
I would never leave my dogs with someone I do not very well. I would really never leave them with someone that has no connection with me in a scary place where it is known to be a dangerous situation.
Even if 99% of airlines treat animals well, that 1% is enough for me to refuse to ship an animal.

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Out of curiosity... how would you then go about transporting a large or even medium sized dog then?
I know I certainly could not bring either of my dogs as a carry on if I had to fly somewhere.
The carrier required for a 50 to 60lbs dog is much larger then what you could bring as a carry on so how would you work around that?

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Read this article
http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/travel.html

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I had to ship Babylon home from Alaska via cargo. 7 hour flight. Wasnt his first time flying in an airplane, but it did shake him up a bit. (Then again, he's scared of alot of things. Should have seen him when there was a snake in his area. You would think he saw a 20 foot python) And even then, I dont know if it was this flight that scared him, or the memories of the previous one.
And as for the heater, they made sure it was working. Which it wasnt. Which meant we couldnt fly. Good cause got to spend another day in Alaska, bad cause I was stuck in an airport for over 3 hours.
For puppies, I wouldnt even think about shipping them. (Even though I do know people who have, and the pups did just fine) And as for adults, I would at least make sure they are quite comfortable in a crate.

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It sounds the same in there as it does in the cabin.
The only thing separating you from the cargo bin is the floor inside the cabin.
Hey Red...since you worked for the airline..maybe you can tell me.
Is there any way of checking how the team puts the crates on the plane? Just to make sure they aren't throwing anything around, or is that impossible?
Also, what kind of insurance or guarantee do they have? Like, do they take responsibility if you take the dog home and its traumatized or injured somehow?
Just curious. I'd love to take Messina with me as a carry-on if I do fly in the future, but its hard to put a pit bull in your lap lol

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i think it also depends on the airline, i will ONLY ever reccomend continental to anyone, they temp control their cargo for animals onbaord, and are wonderfull,
ive had too many wonderfull experiences over the past 6 yrs with continental i cant honestly say i dont trust them, other airlines however i woudlnt think about shipping live animals with.
continental at least do take wonderfull care of the animals onboard.

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Pitbulliest, I ALWAYS insure the dog I am shipping for at least 10K. You can do this when you are checking in. It costs very little only a few dollars. You can bet this makes a difference in how YOUR precious cargo is handled.
You can also observe the cargo being loaded, either from the terminal bldg or from inside the aircraft.
It is good to advise the crew, even tho they may already know from the manifest, that you have a dog in the cargo bin.

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Boat. :)
Good questions about the international/long distance travel, I was wondering if there was a decent way of transporting. Herschel is small enough (barely) to fly on board with us so we haven't had any problems yet.

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that's great. So they don't usually object if you ask to see them loading cargo?
Another question: How much does it usually cost to travel with your pet via air? I mean..for example, if you are travelling from the U.S to Europe.. how much does the pet's airfare/cargo boarding/insurance etc cost altogether?

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Out of curiosity... how would you then go about transporting a large or even medium sized dog then?
I know I certainly could not bring either of my dogs as a carry on if I had to fly somewhere.
The carrier required for a 50 to 60lbs dog is much larger then what you could bring as a carry on so how would you work around that?
I have no personal experience but there are companies that offer ground transport with a caretaker provided to be with the dog at all times. Cost quite a bit more but worth it IMO.
I have had to transport medium and large dogs before and I either have the person adopting the dog fly out to get them and they rent a car to drive back or twice I have made the trip myself via car. It is also amazing to see rescue workers that will coordinate transport cross country.
I refuse to ship a puppy via plane from out of country. Insurance is great, but the dogs life and humane treatment is worth more to me than any risk.

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I've only had to fly one puppy , and the new owner and I were more traumatized than the pup ! I stayed with him until he was loaded and at the airport until he was airborne . It was only an hour flight and he bounded out and hadn't even peed or potted . I would never ship during questionable weather or with change of flights . I'm sure there aren't many animals on flights , so I wish the cages could be loaded with passengers !

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P.S. .....welcome , Coopervane !! and thanks for the post !

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Hi I am new to this forum. I just got a puppy and started doing some research and found this website. Glad to be here!!
I would like the administrator to sticky one part of my post if they would.
I am an airline pilot, and I see abuse on a DAILY basis at work. Animals left in crates in the extreme cold and heat are pretty bad, but what I have seen in the past several years makes me sick.
You see, it gets COLD in the cargo compartment. It is pressurized, but we don't turn on the heat back there unless the ground personnel let us know that there is an animal being shipped. I can't tell you how many times I have flown a 2-3 hour flight only to find a shivering puppy or kitten that I didn't know about. I have started to run the heat on EVERY flight, but very few pilots do this.
Also, rampers sometimes leave puppies/kittens within feet of a howling APU (Auxiliary generator) That can produce as much as 150 decibels. Imagine being that puppy in pain from the noise. It would be a life altering event for them!! Especially as sensitive as their hearing is!!!!
I have tried in vain to advise MY company and ground personnel, but trust me THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR DOG/CAT. As long as your pet LIVES then it is acceptable to them.
I am POWERLESS to do anything so I am starting a campaign. Please help!! Call your local I-team TV investigators, they love this stuff. The FAA doesn't care, the airlines don't care 20/20 doesn't care. Please call them and ask them to do a story.
And most of all. DO NOT EVER, EVER SHIP YOUR PETS IN A CRATE. THEY COULD BE TRAUMATIZED FOR LIFE!! Make alternative plans for your pet. Carry them on board, drive or leave them at home.
What aircraft do you fly?

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Well what about some of those companies who specialize in animal transport.
Just very quickly going to google I put in animal transport and came up with a few like this
http://www.animalsaway.com/
I don't know anything about it, just the first link I found... but how do companies like these go about moving animals, does anybody know?

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Welcome to Chaz Coopervane & thank you so much for the information.

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I'm so glad you posted this. My husband and I are going to Guatemala for a week and were considering taking our puppy with us. I had concerns about the cargo hold, and this confirms them. We'll be leaving her at doggy camp here at home.

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Thank you for posting this valuable info. I'll see if it can be stickied. Appreciate your care and concern. I wish more people shared that.

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It's really a non choice matter for many people to fly animals. It's not just a gee, I'll drive those extra few hours. It is far more cruel to drive from Ontario to NC to go get my puppy, and then make it sit in the car the entire way back. That is Multiple really long drives.
It's nice that you care how animals are treated, but your post is written in a scare tactic manner that will likely needlessly freak people out. I'm sure some not so great things happen, but that's no reason to say pets should never ever be flown.

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I have shipped dogs multiple times with zero issues.
I agree that the original post was written in a manner to frighten people away from shipping their dogs.
A crate trained dog will travel JUST FINE in the cargo hold of an aircraft as long as it is not so hot outside that it's dangerous.
I find it hard to believe that people would make decisions on the basis on one post by some unknown person on a message board.
There are plenty of places on the net to research air travel with pets, how to prepare your dog and your crate for safe travel, and what the fees/costs are.

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I have shipped dogs multiple times with zero issues.
I agree that the original post was written in a manner to frighten people away from shipping their dogs.
A crate trained dog will travel JUST FINE in the cargo hold of an aircraft as long as it is not so hot outside that it's dangerous.
I find it hard to believe that people would make decisions on the basis on one post by some unknown person on a message board.
There are plenty of places on the net to research air travel with pets, how to prepare your dog and your crate for safe travel, and what the fees/costs are.
This is not the first time I have heard horror stories about dogs being flown in cargo. I believe a few years back there was video documentation of what really happens on 20/20 or a similar show. They recorded temp. changes, noise, etc....
I am sure the majority of the time everything goes great. But, if there is a 1% chance that something will go wrong, why risk it?
ETA: Of course you can't keep your dog from any and all dangers but there are very few people I trust to care for my dogs.......complete strangers are never the one's I trust. ;)

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This is not the first time I have heard horror stories about dogs being flown in cargo. I believe a few years back there was video documentation of what really happens on 20/20 or a similar show. They recorded temp. changes, noise, etc....
I am sure the majority of the time everything goes great. But, if there is a 1% chance that something will go wrong, why risk it?
ETA: Of course you can't keep your dog from any and all dangers but there are very few people I trust to care for my dogs.......complete strangers are never the one's I trust. ;)
Life equals risk. Getting up in the morning probably carries a greater than a 1% risk. :D
I choose not to live my life in fear, but to educate myself on the pros and cons, and the relative risks, of activities and behaviors.
Shipping a dog by air I do not feel is an appreciable risk to the health and safety of my dog if it is approached in a sensible manner.
:D
JMO as always.
Carry on. :)

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I think this really serves to put us on alert to perform our due diligence before putting animals on a flight. Often, just the fact that we care enough to ask questions can cause others to be more careful :)

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My stepson is a pilot for SWA. He told me that what poster said is true and more and that he would never fly his guys. I had never given thought to this as I assumed that airlines would take as much care for them as human passengers.
A good point he made to me is that people are people and not all love your pet.
so bad things do happen daily. He gave me some stories about what he personally has seen and that not all pets arrive safe and unharmed and it is from the improper handling of them.
I told him of this thread and he strongly agreed that people do need to get involved and change this not just say oh well what choice do we have.

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I've never shipped a dog, and to be honest when I was consdering shipping one previously, I wasn't comfortable with the idea. It's costing me a little extra to fly to North Carolina and pick up my new puppy, but it's worth it for the peace of mind. I'm a worrier and would be a nervous wreck if I was flying my puppy to me.
I have a feeling someday I'll have a dog flown to me . . . Just not this one. I'm just not comfortable with it at this point.

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that's great. So they don't usually object if you ask to see them loading cargo?
Another question: How much does it usually cost to travel with your pet via air? I mean..for example, if you are travelling from the U.S to Europe.. how much does the pet's airfare/cargo boarding/insurance etc cost altogether?
depends where in europe your going.
all out of country flights the dog must be in cargo (wth the exception of canada and mexico with some airlines)
if you want to go to the british isles, hawaii or anywhere else that has quarrentein laws, i dont suggest it.
there is the pet pasport but it takes aproximatly 6months to complete and is a very rigourous process costing ofter over $1000 however it does mean your dog or cat can go straight home instead of having to sit in quarrentine.
if you do plan on flying into a quarrentine based conuntry without the pet passport its a 6monthed kenneld quarentine and can cost anything from $5000 upwards from what ive been told, a good average is about $1000 a month for quarentine boarding.
cost of flight is usually about the same cost as a childs seat in regular class, but it also depends on the airline.
some airlines also dont fly animals at all...
insurance is usually anythign from $25-$200 per pet, again depending on airline.
as an example, to ship vixie and dodger to me, via continental, shipping was $250 for vet check, crate, flight and insurance.
for my dane puppy to be shipped if i whent that route itll cost closer to $350 because bigger crate, and bigger crate means more expesnive.
so it all depends on weight and crate size.
its always best to contact the airline and talk to them about their rules and regs and prices.
again, if our planning on duing such the only airline i trust with dogs are British airlines (when we moved over our cocker was flown cargo with BA and continental (both vixie and dodger were sent via continental, wonderfull airline for pet transport!)

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Well, sorry if I wrote it as if I were using scare tactics, just saw it too many times last week. I am fed up with the lack of concern.
To be fair, it DOES depend on what aircraft you are flying on. I fly the 50 seat CRJ, which is THE worst for noise. A larger aircraft would definitely be better for the animal. But the growing utilization of these RJ's only increases your chances of flying on one.
Also to be fair, I have only seen this abuse in Atlanta/PHL/ORD and not at smaller airports. But I see it almost every day. I'm not making this stuff up.
Several posters have commented that they have shipped and "no worse for wear" but how do you know. Is it O.K. for your Groomer to abuse your dog as long as you don't see it?
I agree with Rottweiler, don't let some anonymous poster like me unduly influence you. Do your own research, ask lots of questions. But I would never let any animal of mine ride in cargo.
All I'm saying, is be aware. There are times when you MUST ship. But not puppies/kittens. And not for a casual trip.
My company used to issue reports about how many animals we killed per month. Yea!!, only 2 this month. We stopped posting those reports. Maybe steer clear of Atlanta and you'll be fine?

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Well, personally I think this topic has been sensationalized. Living in Alaska, people end up flying their pets all the time. I worked for a vet for six years and wrote hundreds and hundreds of health certificates for shipping. Not once in those six years did anyone lose a dog on a flight or even complain about trauma - in fact, many of those people flew numerous times with their dogs.
Show dog people fly their dogs out to shows all the time from Alaska. I'm on an Alaska dog show email list and people are always talking about going to the various national shows, Eukanuba show, etc. I generally drive out, but that takes upwards of five days (took me six days to St. Louis one year) and most people fly out. I haven't seen anyone posting about a problem with flying.
I've flown with dogs a few times. I hate it because I'm a nervous wreck. The dogs have always done fine - I'm the one that fainted on a flight due to stress and exhaustion!
I've had three dogs shipped up to me via airlines. One showed up scared to death, but she was a five month old dog with next to no socialization and who had not been acclimated to a kennel (I found this out AFTER I got her). The other two, at eight weeks old, showed up as happy and bouncy and confident as I could want. Khana was 12 hours in transit from Ontario, Canada to Anchorage, Alaska. My next puppy will be shipped up from Texas.
Yes, there will be an occasional problem. But it's rare, not common, in my experience. If a dog is social, confident, stable and is used to a crate (which, in my opinion, all dogs should be) then there is no reason to think that they won't handle a trip just fine. If they get jostled about a bit by a handler - well, I don't approve of it, but I jostle them around in their kennels and follow that with treats so they're used to a bit of rough handling. Every single time I've traveled with my dogs, I've stood at the window and was able to see their kennels arrive at the cargo hold. Most of the time I've seen them loaded, and never once did I see them get tossed around or handled harshly. When I board the plane, I immediately tell the stewardess that I have dogs traveling too and I ask for confirmation that they're on board - and then I don't sit down and buckle my seat belt until they tell me. If the plane starts to move and I haven't been told yet, I continue to stand (which irritates the stewardesses, but it does get results .. *L*). Most of the time the captain reports on the loudspeaker that the dogs are on board.
So, if a person is a bit proactive and does the right things, then travel for the dog isn't generally traumatic as it's being made out to be. I have no doubt that more dogs are injured/killed/traumatized in car wrecks than in travel by air - even if we do it by percentage, I'd be willing to bet that car travel is far higher a risk.
Melanie and the gang in Alaska

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This leads to the question of flying the dog as an underseat carry-on.
What are the rules about this? Say if I were to go out and collect a puppy in person, could I bring it back with me? I'm speaking only of travel within the USA. Have security restrictions stopped this? Do I have to put my puppy through an X-ray machine?
Flying these days is dreadful no matter where you are. Southwest appears to make money while all the others are hanging on by a thread and if that's the case, they'll do anything to save money. I barely trust them with my checked luggage, why should I trust them with my dog?
I've been in planes stuck on the ground for hours, landed at unscheduled airports, experienced an air pocked so severe people with thrown not only out of their seats, but even out of the lavatories! Ever been on a plane with landing gear failure? I have!
No way is driving cruel for a dog. You can make stops for exercise, food, and have a nice hotel room to stay in at night. Cars have climate control so you can make it warm or cold, and all the dogs I've had love to ride in the car and meet people along the way. Certainly beats being stuck in plastic box in a strange place with questionable air, temperature, noise levels, and handling. To say nothing if they misplace the dog and it ends-up god-knows-where.
I'd feel better if I could accompany a small under-the-seat dog if only because I know it's much more comfortable for him.

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I agree with a little bit of what everyone has said. While accidents are rare compared to the amount of animals that fly, I agree with cooper by stating that you just shouldn't take the chance if you have other options. I think all cooper was attempting to do is to raise awareness in some of the problems that come with flying. People tend to be naive and assume because airlines see pets all the time they are treated perfectly, but they are not. Some airline companies refuse to accept pets on flights at all, because they are a hassle and there are many uncontrollable issues that could happen and result in lawsuits. Just look at some of the airline policies, Southwest doesn't fly pets at all Southwest (http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/animals.html), US Airways doesn't allow animals at hub cities or cities with extreme temperatures US Airways (http://www.usairways.com/awa/content/traveltools/specialneeds/pets.aspx), and Delta's pet requirements should also say something about the temperatures:
"Pug or snub-nosed dogs and cats are not hot-weather animals and therefore do not thrive in warm temperatures. As a precaution, Delta will not accept them as checked baggage or as air cargo if the temperature on any part of their trip exceeds 70 degrees F." Delta (http://www.delta.com/planning_reservations/special_travel_needs/pet_travel_information/pet_requirements_restrictions/index.jsp)
Delta's regulations don't say how high the temperatures will get and we all know 70F doesn't kill most cats or pugs... The biggest problem is temperature extremes and changes in temperatures. Remember a 'precaution' to an airline is usually their way of preventing a lawsuit, not them caring about the welfare of your pet. To big business it is all about $$$.
I think it is a good idea to raise awareness about pets on flights. It would be great to see 20/20 do an undercover story and see how they really are treated and on different airlines. No one really knows for sure except the pets, and maybe they are so happy and glad to see you because they just wanted OUT! I just know about airplanes, I'm an aerospace engineering student, and they do undergo extreme temperature changes in cargo holds which could be deadly... Make sure if you fly your pet to tell the crew, pilots do actually have control of the temperature in cargo on most aircraft and as for the ground crew, there isn't much to do except avoid major hubs where they are busy and rush around. Do lots of research before shipping your pup, there aren't any (FAA) regulations out there so make sure they are safe and as RED said insure them for lots, b/c it will make the airline 'want' to take extra care of the animal.

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WE had a great experience when our puppy was shipped to us from Florida, to California last June.
Just though I would let you all know it isn't all bad.
MBG

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I also lived in Alaska for many years, and while I admit it is a different world, i.e., the airport and its employees become friends, because we all flew so much, (and EVERYONE has dogs) I don't think it's a good idea to judge all airlines the same. We flew across country with our dogs a couple of times, and when we left we had our cat under our seats. None of them begged to do it again (the cat hunkered down for the entire time and refused to talk about it), but they did okay. And Alaska Airlines won't fly dogs if the temperature in the cargo hold is going to be below 40, as I recall. We were afraid we wouldn't be able to get them home, but all was well, and we felt that our animals were treated well.

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ehh. we have always flown our pets with us. so i don't think we shoudl do that again. thanks for the info. does anyone have a site where i could find out more?
i guess we will get dogtainers now if we can't drive ourselves. plus i don't think QANTAS would be veray happy us sitting there with our 4 dogs (12kg, 20kg, 25kg and 45kg) and a cat onboard.

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My husband works for Delta and he assured me that they are well taken care of blah blah blah. When we got out recent addition to the family in January I flew all the way to Iowa myself and had her in a soft carrier with me during the flight. Why? Although I am sure some employees may be considered most of them do not care. Have you ever seen the way baggage is handled? Thrown sometimes feet across to land in a bin? If it were their personal property it would not be handled like that. I agree!!! Do not send your puppy in cargo!!!

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I wonder if a veterinarian prescribed sedative would be the solution?
My Mother adopted a stray a few years back and her dog was PETRIFIED of riding in the car. Her dog would have such panic attacks while traveling it was so pitiful. On a 8 hour car trip, her Vet prescribed a sedative tablet that she gave about an hour before the trip.....she basically slept the entire car trip. Woke up about 20 minutes after they arrived (safe and sound in my Mom's lap).
The only things the pill would not work for would be the
temperature problem and / or the rough handling of the crate.

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I wonder if a veterinarian prescribed sedative would be the solution?
My Mother adopted a stray a few years back and her dog was PETRIFIED of riding in the car. Her dog would have such panic attacks while traveling it was so pitiful. On a 8 hour car trip, her Vet prescribed a sedative tablet that she gave about an hour before the trip.....she basically slept the entire car trip. Woke up about 20 minutes after they arrived (safe and sound in my Mom's lap).
The only things the pill would not work for would be the
temperature problem and / or the rough handling of the crate.
Yeah my Rosco just started "accepting" car rides. He is not fond of them at all, he pants on and off but is much better than a year ago (he would scratch the floor and cry).
What I said before, that was just my opinion is all, it is very unsual that something go wrong but it can. My dogs are my babies so I am overly protective of them. :)