I think this is a problem of poor owner planning, no question. Miami to Salt Lake is one long, hot flight.

At the same time, the whole system of traveling with your pet can be really hard to navigate. We investigated having our dog travel in the belly of the plane last summer. You have to be part weather predictor and part psychic! We used Continental because they market themselves as being pet friendly--even still, their written forms were conflicting and hard to understand (and I'm an attorney, for goodness sake!) and every person I called with questions had a different answer for me.

Our dog was just under the upper pound limit for in-cabin travel, so I ultimately just decided to do that. He didn't have a ton of room to stretch, but at least I knew he'd be alive at the end of it all. And even still I was worried that some last minute rule that I missed would keep us all from being able to get on the plane.

We're dealing w/something similar at my clinic lately, given it's summertime and people are taking off on vacations left and right: boarding facility requirements. I get so freaking tired of people not checking w/their boarding facility of choice regarding what is required preventive care-wise of their pet upon admission. They'll come in requesting a rabies vaccine and then call a few hours later, upset that we didn't tell them the boarding facility required DHPP and bordetella, too. Keep in mind a lot of the clients are not regular ones, so we have no prior vaccine history on their pet and they never bring records and rarely know when their pet last received what. Or sometimes we get phone calls w/people demanding money back b/c we offered a vaccine their boarding facility didn't require. Even better, people who come in angry because they tried to drop their pet off to be boarded and were told, based on records they provided, that their pet's vaccines were expired - how dare we not call them to remind them! Seriously? Are people not responsible for anything anymore? Drives me nuts, and takes up a lot of our valuable time dealing w/their silliness.

That fax ... OMG, what a perfect clincher to the story of a complete and utter jerk. Many kudos for holding your ground.

The last time I flew with one of my dogs -- my 3-year-old retriever, Woody -- we took the red-eye direct from Sac to Houston, and I waited until October to go. EVERYTHING that could possibly be done to increase the possibility of my dog's safety and comfort was done.

I HATE red-eyes and can never sleep on them. But it was the best flight for Woody, so that's the one I took. And I delayed our travel two months because I wouldn't put him on a plane in August, even in the middle of the night.

We have become a society of 'entitlement' -- lazy, irresponsible, impossible to please, snotty people. Can you tell this hits a nerve with me too?? Sometimes I wish I was Dr. House (on Fox TV show) who seems to be able to say and do whatever he wants and get away with it. It doesn't seem like anyone feels like they need to work for anything and what's more I seem to have had to develope this inate ability to KNOW what everyone else needs or wants. If I get confronted with these kind of rude people then I am more likely to dig in my heels. I am sure you have heard the saying you attract more flies with honey than vinager.

Kudos to you Dr. K for not subjecting that poor dog to a loud, long, HOT airplane ride. It amazes me when people come in demanding a health certificate (international travel is even better) or sedation for traveling THE DAY BEFORE THEY LEAVE. You want to use a medication you have never used in your pet for the first time when you won't be able to observe it - and not take any blame should the pet have a bad reaction? I don't think so. I wish we could make the owners experience what the dog or cat would have had to go through. A plane ride is never routine for an animal. I hate long car rides but I would drive cross country rather than have to fly my pets anywhere in a plane.

I think your decision was more than justifiable! I know there are certain cases where people need to fly with their pets in the belly, or like another poster arrange their vacation around what is best for their pet, but I just don't understand it otherwise. To think that your dog will have a better time with you on vacation after experiencing that stress, that doesn't make sense to me? To each his own I guess. I used to fly weekly for my job and nothing bothered me more than hearing a dog barking below (and it happens often!). My heart breaks for them down there with that noise, pressure change and heat.

emily: You're right. Anything we can do to help is not only appreciated, it's a sign of great service. But it's soooo hard with all the minutia and the shifting landscape, not to mention hanging on the phone to verify what we can easily see are the requirements according to Websites, etc. Problem is, the more we do, the more we're perceived a liable for the owner's trouble when traveling. The best we can do is inform clients of their need to check and double-check all the requirements and get managers to verify things verbally by phone or in person. Frustrating!!

Hey, you did right by that doggie! And good for you. I am trying to search my memory bank about an article in Dog fancy years ago, that cited the best/worst airlines for pet flights. A reader may recall, about special climate-controlled compartment within the hold of the aircraft. I think Delta was mentioned. And I believe there are published statistics of airline deaths/mishaps of pets.

Anyone??

I gave up a job that would have me travelling non stop because I wouldn't put my dog thru it. There is just no way I would subject my guys to such a frightening experience. It would be bad enough if they were frightened with me there. I can't imagine how cruel it would be to put them in the belly of the plane, loaded like cargo, subject to all the strange noises, etc. Nope, if I go anywhere, they go with me, and it's by car.

Too bad they didn't book on Continental. The cargo area is the same temperature as the cabin, so there are no heat or cold restrictions. It is the only airline that I have never had a problem with, when flying with my dogs.