Are you thinking of traveling with your chihuahua? Here are some tips to make the flight easier for both of you.

Many families love the summertime for the long awaited vacation. However, when you have a furbaby, the plans are not always as cut and dry. With the furry addition to the family, you must now either board the pup, have a pet sitter or take him with you. If you do decide to take him along here are some tips for travel.

Be sure that the airline you are flying on allows pets. With a new law passed in 2005(see below), some airlines may not be as apt to take pets.

Make sure that you have a kennel that will fit under your seat in the cabin as the cargo hold is not a safe place at all for an animal. Temperatures and cabin pressure are not regulated there.

Be sure to take your pet to the vet before you leave for a thorough check up and to ensure that all shots are up to date. Be sure to have a copy of your pets health record at all times to prove vaccinations. This is as important to your pet as your passport is to you. Do not give your pet any sedatives unless instructed by your vet to do so.

Do not give your pet any food six hours prior to the flight. This is another good reason NOT to ship a small chi. These pups need to eat every 3-4 hours to maintain their blood sugar level.

Buy your pet an additional pet tag with your name, the destination and a cell number if you have it. This ensures the best chance that if he escapes, he will be able to be returned to you.

Write LIVE ANIMAL on the top and sides of the crate, along with arrows to show the upright position. Include your name, address, phone number and destination on the top of the crate.

Attach a photo of the pet to the top of the crate for identification purposes.

Line the crate with absorbent material, puppy pads work well, so that if there is an accident it will be absorbed.

Freeze his water in the dish so that it melts slowly allowing enough to drink, but not enough so that if it gets spilled he won't have anything to drink.

Copyright Tornado Chis.

This was posted on AOL.com news on June 4th, 2005. The copyright to this article belongs to Leslie Miller and the Associated Press.

Airlines Must Start Tallying Pet Casualties
Injury and Death Numbers Previously Unreported
By LESLIE MILLER, AP

WASHINGTON (June 3) - Plenty of vacation guides list camps that allow dogs or rank pet-friendly hotels, but until now there's been no way to know which airlines are safest for four-legged travelers.

That's about to change. Starting June 15, airlines must report how many pets are killed, lost or injured on their flights.

The government estimates 2 million animals fly commercially every year. Many airlines allow small pets to travel in portable kennels under seats, where the owners are responsible for their safety. Larger pets travel in cargo holds, where they can be exposed to extreme heat or cold and loud noises from plane engines.

Nobody knows how many pets are killed or injured. Lisa Weisberg, spokeswoman for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, suggested 1 percent, which would mean 20,000 animals per year. The airlines say that's far too high.

But no one disputes that accidents do happen.

When Sarah Stano's husband was transferred from Portland, Ore., to Greensboro, N.C., she chose Delta Airlines to fly them there because it was the only carrier that would let her carry her three cats in the cabin.

But at the airport she discovered one of the containers was too big to fit under the seat. Hereford, a fluffy white cat with black spots, had to go in the cargo hold.

"I'll never forget the look he gave me when they took him away," Stano said.

When Stano and her two children arrived late at night in Greensboro, they found out Hereford had died from either cold or lack of cabin pressure. "We were really kind of devastated about the whole thing," Stano said.

Stano sued Delta and reached an undisclosed settlement.

Delta spokeswoman Benet Wilson said the airline does its best to accommodate pets but doesn't comment on individual cases.

Weisberg's organization pushed Congress to pass the law requiring the airlines to report animal casualties. Supporters wanted it to cover animals shipped to zoos and those used for research and breeding, as well as household pets, and to require that cargo holds be temperature-controlled.

Airlines fought the effort, and lawmakers ended up approving a rule that requires tallying injuries and deaths of household pets.

Jack Evans, spokesman for the Air Transport Association, said the requirement could produce misleading information because the data will not include a casualty rate. An airline that carries many pets may appear to have a worse record than an airline that carries far fewer because it will have a higher number of injuries and deaths, said Evans, whose organization represents major airlines.

David Stempler, president of the Airline Travelers Association, said the new requirement may make some airlines reluctant to carry animals.

"Be careful what you wish for," Stempler said. "Some carriers might do what Southwest does, which is not carry pets at all."

Southwest spokeswoman Edna Ruano said the airline can't guarantee that animals would be comfortable and safe because it doesn't have extra staff to take care of them between flights. Like most airlines, Southwest does allow seeing-eye dogs and other service animals in the cabin.

United Air Lines transports all types of animals, from household pets to silverback gorillas and beluga whales. It even has awarded extra frequent flier miles to people who bring their pets with them.

"A lot of our customers enjoy traveling with their pets," said United spokeswoman Robin Urbanski. As more hotel chains offer perks like pet massages and dog walkers, more people are bringing their animal companions along on trips, she said.