Some of you may have seen the recent headlines about the puppy deaths on Ukrainian airlines on a flight into Canada.

So preventable and unnecessary. And sad, especially to those of us who work behinds the scenes to make sure your pet can travel safely. It makes all pet shipping look unsafe.

And so this is why I often insist on using airlines with proven track records, even with a connection, instead of another airline who may have a nonstop flight, but who is not an airline I work with or trust.

Who Do we use at Airborne Animals? United (when they are flying pets), Delta, KLM, Lufthansa, British Airways, Emirates, American, Hawaiian Air, Alaska Airlines, and occasionally SAS, AerLingus or Brussels Air. Almost any other airline I will probably balk at.

On top of that many of the airlines I have not listed will not work directly with pet shippers. They require an IATA agent, of which most pet shippers (at least in the USA) are not, and then we have to hire another agent to book a flight. This only adds more cost and yet another person into the loop of your pet’s travel – though it’s unlikely you would know it.

Our goal is to make sure your dog, cat, bird, rabbit, guinea pig, tortoise, snake or other furry, feathered or skin-covered pet can join you at your destination and get there in an expedient way, but also a safe way. My airline choices may not always be the cheapest way to go, but my choices are made with your pet and family in mind.