Travelling with or transporting companion animals requires careful preparation to minimise stress and ensure physical safety during journeys by car, aircraft, or other transport modes.
Travel stress is a significant but often underestimated welfare problem for companion animals. Even relatively short car journeys can cause considerable anxiety in animals that have not been gradually habituated to travel. Long-distance transport by aircraft as cargo carries additional risks including temperature extremes, noise, and isolation. The brachycephalic breeds most popular as pets are also those at greatest risk during air transport, as their compromised airways make them more vulnerable to respiratory distress. Gradual habituation to the travel environment from an early age is the most effective welfare investment.