Pet vacations are so much fun. Being a pet lover, I look forward to travelling with my pet everywhere and capturing many pictures. But there are a few requirements and factors one needs to keep in account when travelling with pets like pet entry prerequisites, accommodation, transportation etc. Let’s get acquainted with them in  the following sections.


Some Basic prerequisites:

  1. Heath Certificate: Some locations demand health certificates from a qualified veterinarian to permit entry. Health certificate is also a necessary document when booking flights with pets and other travel modes too. Basically, it is asked to check any infections or diseases the pet may be suffering from, like Aujeszky's disease, distemper, rabies, leishmaniasis, leptospirosis or tuberculosis etc.
  2. No Objection Certificate: Some sites also ask for NOC issued by the Animal Quarantine and Certificate Station (AQCS). The NOC must be obtained from a quarantine center in India by mail, fax, or in-person, and it takes about 5 working days to process. A local pet relocator agent can be asked to obtain the NOC.

To get the NOC, one requires to prepare the following documents:

  • Vaccination records of your pet.
  • Veterinary certificate issued by the government in your home country
  • Confirmation of your travel into India
  • Flight details/Copy of the airway bill

Contact details of Animal Quarantine and Certificate Station (AQCS) in India:

New Delhi

Address: Kapashera (Crossing), New Delhi 110 001
Telephone: + 91 11 2506 3272
Fax: +91 11 2506 0647

Mumbai

Address: Cargo Terminal Building, Phase I, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport,             Sahar, Mumbai 400099

          Telephone: +91 22 2682 8194

Kolkata

Address: Narayanpur, P.O R-Gopalpur, North 24-Parganas, West Bengal 7435

Telephone: +91 33 2573 9777

Fax: +91 33 2573 9777

Bangalore

Address: Alpha 3, Room No. 024, 1st Floor, Bangalore International Airport, Devanahalli, Bangalore 560300

Chennai

Address: Velachery Main Road, Pallikaranai, Chennai 601302

Telephone: +91 44 2246 0659

Fax: +91 44 2246 0659

Flight travel requirements

Let's check out some pet-friendly airlines. It is very important to check specific pet policies of different airlines before travelling to evict any complications in future. Most airlines provide the facility of pet travel in domestic flights. Some provide a cabin and some also allow carriage of pets in cargo. Flight charges for pets may differ in different airlines.

Some specific regulations are listed under:

  1. Air India: Air India has additional charges for taking pets in the flights. Passengers are allowed upto two small pets like dogs, cats and birds in domestic flights accompanied by valid Health and Rabies vaccination certificates. They provide a cabin for pets and also allow carriage of pets on international flights. The weight of the pet including the container should not exceed 5 kgs. However, pets aren't permitted on non-stop flights.
  2. Jet Airways: Jet Airways only grants permission for travel of birds and rabbits  and maximum 3 pets are allowed at a time by one passenger. Do go through the detailed pet policy on their website.
  3. Spice Jet: SpiceJet does not permit the carriage of any animal on any of their flights unless it is a service animal accompanying a disabled passenger. It also does not offer checked baggage service for live animals to its passengers. Three pet crates can be accepted per passenger. Also, check banned breeds in their pet policy.
  4. IndiGo: IndiGo is an exception to allowance of pets on flights. It does not allow the carriage of animals on its flights. Guide dogs for blind passengers are exempt from this rule, but any passenger traveling with a guide dog should contact the IndiGo call center at 1800 180 3838. The guide dog should be properly trained, restrained, and muzzled.

Railways Pet Policy:

Indian Railways do allow pets under following terms and conditions:

  1. A passenger can carry small or big dogs like Labrador, boxer, German shepherd along with him in AC First Class or First Class only. The passenger has to reserve the whole compartment in the train.

2.  A passenger travelling in First Air condition class or first class may take a dog into the compartment only with the concurrence of fellow passengers on payment of charges mentioned above. The charges are prepaid. If fellow passengers subsequently object to the dog remaining in the compartment, it will be removed to the Guard's van, no refund is given.

3. For smaller dogs, there are dog boxes in other compartments where you can pay a minimal charge starting from Rs. 10 according to the weight of the animal and carry.

4. Passengers can contact the parcel office to make the bookings for your dog.

5. Owners should make their own arrangements for water and food for the dog during the journey.

Also, go for detailed pet policy on their website.


Pet- friendly Restaurants:

The concept of pet-friendly restaurants is pretty fresh in India but you may find some in metropolitans like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Gurgaon, Pune, and Noida. Some restaurants do have a separate menu and meals for pets, along with a play area for them.

This makes the visit quite comfortable, both for you and your pet. Also, go through the pet policy of each restaurant before visiting one.

Pet-friendly Hotels

There are a plethora of hotels and resorts that allow pets. Usually, there are supplementary charges for keeping pets in hotel areas, while some may also provide this facility for free. Also, check out some hotels with early check in to give your pet a comfortable experience.

So, these were some handy instructions if you want your pet as your travel companion. Do read particular pet policies of all the places you visit to avoid any kind of faulty circumstances.