Flying with Flemish Giants

 by Allen Bush

 

            Tammy and I have flown with rabbits from California to the Midwest several times.  Each time presented us with an extremely difficult and nerve racking time in our life.  Our number one suggestion would be to drive your rabbits if at all possible.  However, if you are unable to drive, listed below are some suggestions to make your flight with your Flemish a little more successful.

 

1. Do not be concerned about the cost.  It is very expensive.  You need to decide in the beginning, this is something you really want to do and the cost will not matter.

 

2. Take your carrier to the Airlines Cargo area and have it pre-approved.  This is extremely important.  You will not be able to fly with your rabbits if the carrier you are using is rejected.  Also, get this approval in writing.  You may not have the same person working behind the counter the actual day you are flying.

 

3. Book a non-stop flight if possible.  It is much easier on you and the rabbits.

 

4. Book your rabbits as cargo and not excess baggage.  The cost is slightly higher.  However, the rabbits are treated much better and seem to have less stress.  When rabbits are booked as cargo they are handled by people who are experienced with animals.

 

5. Place some kind of easy to recognize tag on the carrier.  This will allow the flight attendant to verify that your rabbits are on the plane.  We were given the OK that are rabbits were on a flight.  However, several people fly with rabbits to large shows.  Our rabbits never made it on our flight.  An identification tag that sticks out is a must.

 

6. Have a health certificate for your rabbits which is current.  Normally, you need to fly within two weeks of the date on the certificate.  We recommend having it within a couple of days of your flight.

 

7. Have a food and water dish in the carrier.  The rabbits will not eat or drink very much during the process.  However, it is required that the animals have food and water.

 

8. Bring food with you in your suit case for the rabbits.  We always have a lot of trouble getting the rabbits to eat when we reach our destination.  Familiar foods, snacks, etc. seem to help the rabbits to get started eating.

 

9. Arrive at the Airport at least 3 hours earlier than your flight.  You do not want to be in a hurry during this extremely stressful time.

 

10. Check with the Airlines to see if there are any restrictions based on when you are flying.  Normally, during May thru September the Airlines have some different rules when you are flying to protect animals from the heat.

 

11. Remember it is possible to do well with rabbits that have flown.  We were fortunate to win Best of Breed and Best Display during the Ohio show in May of 2001.  We consider this one of our biggest wins.  It ranks right up there with our win during the San Diego Convention.  We also won Best Opposite of Breed at last year’s convention in Indy.