Tag Archives: Petfinder

A Hurricane Sandy survival story

There’s still a lot of work to be done in the communities hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy this week.  Thankfully, it seems that the lessons from Hurricane Katrina have helped and there will be fewer animal casualties because people evacuated with their pets (and shelters accepted them).

I thought I would share this story of Max, a mixed-breed believed to be Shepherd, Pointer and Pit Bull.

Jessie Streich-Kest pictured with Max in happier times. Photo courtesy of NYCCommunities

Max was found under a fallen tree on Tuesday alongside the bodies of his owner and her friend.  They were out walking together when the tree fell on them.  Max is now recovering from head injuries, a broken jaw and cuts.

Max’s owner, Jessie Streich-Kest, saved Max from an ASPCA shelter.  Now, when he recovers, he’ll go to live with her family.

Many charities like the Petfinder Foundation are using donations to help animals in need.  As temperatures drop in the region and power has yet to be restored, even shelters are finding it tough to keep their animals warm and comfortable.

It’s time to reach out and help where you can.

North America’s most pet-friendly airlines

As most of you know, I’m a big supporter of traveling with your dog when on holiday/vacation and I encourage you to support pet-friendly shops and accommodation providers in your area.

Petfinder.com recently released its findings for 2011’s most pet-friendly airlines.  This year, the site extended its coverage to Canada so it is now ranking airlines that service North America.

Petfinder reviewed airlines in the following categories:

  • what airline is most pet-friendly overall

Winner:  Pet Airways – a dedicated airline for transporting pets

  • offers the best amenities for pets and their parents

Winner:  JetBlue – for the 2nd year in a row.  JetBlue provides travelers with a pet carrier baggage tag, a travel “petiquette” guide, 300 TrueBlue points each way, and a comprehensive e-booklet with pet-friendly hotels, restaurants, parks and animal hospitals in some of JetBlue’s major cities.

  • best in offering transport to a variety of pets

Winner:   Frontier Airlines because they allow dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and small birds in the cabin

  • best for flying multiple pets in the cabin

Winner:  Frontier Airlines, which allows up to 10 pet containers on each flight. Only one pet container is allowed per person, but the limit per flight means that multiple friends/relatives can travel with animals so the entire family arrives at its destination together

  • best service for large sized pets

Winner:  Pet Airways, the maximum height for a pet carried by the airline is 34 inches.  This allows for large sized breeds like Newfoundlands and Great Danes to fly.

All pet-friendly airlines which made the ranking were required to have zero pet deaths in the past reported year according to official government reports.