 Cedar Ridge Beagles
3005 Lexington Court
Bedford, IA 50833
712-523-3646
tonip@frontiernet.net
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Most people pick their puppies up from
our
home. We do prefer to not fly puppies, but generally do fly one or more
from each litter. It is just a long, tiring day for us because we must leave
between 2:30 and 3:30 a.m. most of the time when puppies fly. Therefore, we
do "prefer" to avoid shipping. Realistically, though...it's necessary: If we
limited our puppy destinations to more local homes, we would be overlooking
some fantastic new homes/families father away. So in the puppies' best
interest, we do fly them so they can have the best new home.
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Puppies can fly with Continental year round
from Omaha or Kansas City to major airports throughout the US. We will make
those shipping arrangements for you. Click
here to read
information from Continental about their PetSafe program.
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You can fly to Omaha or Kansas City, and take
your puppy back home on the plane with you as carry on. Depending upon our
work
schedule, we may or may not be able to meet you at the airport (it is a
2-hour drive each way, plus wait time).
If you are in Canada,
click here for information specifically
about shipping across the border. We generally do not fly puppies into
Canada, but can consider it.
Day of Flight Info
How Does This Work?
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First, we have to find your closest airport
that a puppy can fly into (requires a certain size of plane with climate
controlled hold).
*Not all airports with Continental service can receive puppies.
Only those that receive the big planes can transport puppies.
You can call Continental at 800-575-3335 to determine what
airport is the closest to you that can handle puppies, or we can call and inquire
for you.
*We will make the reservations, but we
can only reserve for the airports that accept the planes with
climate-controlled holds.
*Temperature extremes can limit this (heat and
cold) during some times of year with other airlines. Continental can ship despite temp extremes,
as they have temperature controlled transport to and from the plane. But, Continental doesn't fly into
some airports (like Boise), so we have to find that out for your location.
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We will make the arrangements. You just pay for
the associated costs at least 2 weeks in advance.
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Then, wait until your puppy is at least 8
weeks old to ship him/her. Shipping requires that a puppy be by itself for
several hours, and younger puppies can become overly stressed if this wait
is very long. So, we'll look for a good flight for him or her.
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The cost to fly a puppy 8 weeks old to
any major city is generally around $335.
This price could fluctuate if the airlines raise their
prices. For older puppies and mature dogs, we must call the
airline for a specific price to the the higher weight of the beagle.
If a puppy has a long layover somewhere (generally Houston), it might be about $75 higher for
the airport personnel to clean the carrier, feed/water, and walk the puppy
(this is rare, but occurs for Alaska and various airports depending upon
current available flights).
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This not at profit to us (in fact, the fee
doesn't always totally cover our costs), and just pays for:
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the airline fee
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shipping insurance
-
the pet travel carrier
- attachable food/water dishes
- air-travel veterinary health certificate (a
special health certificate required for flights)
-
some (not all)
of our travel/fuel costs
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This fee also does not cover loss of income...I miss most
of a day of working, and have to make up that work later.
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At times, I have to pay someone $100 to do the airport trip for
me due to overload of work that can't be missed (if I can't take the day off).
When this is the case, I just absorb the cost and don't charge extra.
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Your puppy will be flown to the nearest major airport to
you, or to the airport you specify that accepts puppies via Continental.
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Flight times will be determined by the
airlines, though we reserve the right to refuse to ship puppies if their
travel day is too long. So far we've never done this, but we will if we feel
it would be a danger to the puppy.
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We are not responsible for airline flight
changes, such as weather postponements, delays, mechanical problems,
etc. If your puppy can't fly on the scheduled day, a reschedule will be
arranged. It is an inconvenience for both of us, as you and I may both have
taken vacation days for the scheduled flight, but we don't offer refunds if
a flight is rescheduled.
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Reservations will be made upon receiving
payment for the shipping and associated costs, and full payment for the
puppy. Please give us at least 3 full weeks prior to shipping your puppy to
help ensure flight availability.
If you know you want to ship your puppy...
If you ship, please send an e-mail to us with
the following information (or call us at 712-370-0851). E-mail is best, as
then we have your information already written down and transferable to our
record keeping program.
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If you filled out the Puppy Info Request Form,
we should already have your information. If you haven't filled that out, you
can do that now by clicking the link.
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Please give us any known
days that will NOT work for you during the week
following the 8-week old minimum age of your puppy.
Because we must leave at 2:00 a.m. to go to the airport
(or stay in a hotel near the airport), we have to
minimize the number of trips we take to the airport. We
will try to accommodate your schedule.
"The Big Day"
Checking/Verifying Flight Status
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You can call Continental at 800-575-3335 or 218-553-5052 to
check the status of your puppy's flights using the confirmation # we give
you. Or, watch flight status online via Continental's web page:
Flight Status Page
http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/apps/travel/flightStatus/default.aspx
Watch all flights (usually just the one from Omaha or Kansas City to
Houston, plus from Houston to your own airport).
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To watch
flights for early/late departures on the day of the flight for Delta
Airlines, go to
http://www.delta.com/ and enter your flight info at the bottom left of
the page to check flight status. Their phone # is
1-888-SEND-PET (888-736-3738)
What should I take to the airport with
me?
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Before you read this, please jot on your
calendar to
e-mail or call me 2 days before the flight day
to confirm that you are still planning to pick the puppy up according to
schedule. I will try to contact you, but in case I can't reach you, it
helps if you are also contacting me.
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REQUIRED.
Photo ID for the person listed to receive the
puppy (which is the buyer, unless you told me otherwise).
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REQUIRED.
My cell phone number: 712-370-0851, and home number: 712-523-3646
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REQUIRED.
The phone number for Continental Airlines pet reservations
line: 1.800.575.3335 or 281.553.5052, or Delta: 1-888-736-3738...or
for whatever airline is being used. Also, it is helpful to
have your confirmation number from my e-mail that included the flight
itinerary.
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Water to offer the puppy at the airport or at
your vehicle. There will be a food and water dish attached to the
inside of the carrier, so you don't need a bowl. Bottled water might be best
to avoid extra smells that tap waters can have for the first day. Some
people suggest adding orange Gatorade to tap water...a tablespoon added to
water can disguise the chemical/mineral smell of differing water from your
tap and our tap.
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A collar (9 to 12" generally fits) and leash to allow
the puppy to exercise a little before the drive home, and for potty stops.
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Baby wipes or a couple wet wash cloths to
wipe
off the puppy's feet, as they
might be soiled from the trip. Beagles don't normally potty in their
"homes," but sometimes the travel time is longer than they can hold it.
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A plastic garbage bag or grocery bag to dump
the soiled bedding from the travel carrier into for disposal.
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A clean towel or something soft and cuddly to
put into the carrier for your drive home from the airport.
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A map to where you pick your puppy up. Do a search in Google
for the airport if needed, as most have online maps that you can look at to
help guide you to the terminal or Air Cargo (most puppies are either
delivered at Baggage Services for Continental or else their Air Cargo
counter).
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Pepto Bismol or Kaopectate, in case your puppy gets loose stools from the flight and leaving
littermates. Puppies can have about 1 teaspoon of Pepto Bismol every 6 hours
OR 5 mL of Kaopectate every 2 hours if their tummies are upset. It can
be given using a children's medicine dropper from any pharmacy, or an empty
syringe (with no needle). Click
here to see a chart of common medications that puppies/dogs can have.
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This one isn't for the airport, but be ready at home to give your puppy a
bath. I often choose to not bathe your puppy before the flight, because most
puppies need a bath after getting to your home (if they have a "potty accident"
in the carrier). Two baths in two days could result in dry, itchy skin. To avoid
dry skin, I'd rather fly a puppy to you that "smells like a puppy." :-)
Please be at the
airport immediately upon your puppy's arrival! It is best for
your puppy to be picked up immediately, and also the airline personnel get
very nervous if you are not waiting there.
Example of a travel carrier for the flight
(included in the cost for shipping)
After Picking Up Your Puppy
After your puppy arrives, please either text or call (712-370-0851) or
e-mail to let us know that you have your puppy. I try to not call because
many times, I catch people in the high-traffic areas around the airport while
they are driving. If you would just call or text me, it would give me comfort.
:-) Or, e-mail when you get home.
At home, check the envelopes taped to the top of the puppy's carrier for
paperwork that should be saved.
You will probably need to give your puppy a lukewarm bath using a gentle,
tearless shampoo. I often don't bathe puppies that are flying because they
typically will need another bath upon arrival. Two baths in a row would probably
result in dry skin. So, please plan to do a quick puppy bath with a gentle puppy
shampoo. We've also used a tearless childrens shampoo + conditioner combo, and
really like that as well as puppy shampoo...maybe the conditioner in the shampoo
moistens the skin?
Are there any options other than flying?
There are some over-land animal haulers, but
we will not sell a puppy to someone planning to use a land transport
service. This is due to several reasons:
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The transport time is too
long and stressful for a young puppy
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The chances for
contamination (viruses, bacteria) from previous dogs that have been in the
compartment is too high.
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Scheduling with land
transporters is too difficult, and my work schedule
makes it difficult to accommodate their last-minute
changes.
Other Airlines
We fly with Continental because they have less temperature
restrictions than other airlines due to their better facilities, which
affects winter and summer travel. But we
could explore other airlines if needed.
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