Nationwide Transport

NATIONAL TRANSPORT FEE: We offer an all-inclusive transport fee of $250 on top of the adoption fee. This fee includes the pet's plane ticket or ground travel ticket, flight fees, travel crate, and the USDA required health certificate and exam proving that your pet is healthy enough for interstate travel and carrying no zoonotic parasites or infections.

 

OPTION ONE: If you need transport assistance, we are able to offer nationwide transport to most major cities by plane. We are fortunate to partner with Delta Airlines and Southwest Airlines, and their generous employees use their days off to escort our babies in the cabin with them. They get the VIP treatment! Our dogs ride in the cabin with the pilot or flight crew, so we know they are safely handled.

With this option, the animals are only in transport a few hours. They are highly unlikely to come into contact with any other pets, and thereby, it virtually eliminates the possibility of contracting any illnesses en route.

However, this option requires adopters to be flexible and able to change pick up times at any moment. Because flight escorts and airlines are doing this as a charitable endeavor, sometimes they may get unexpected layovers or delays that are out of our control. Adopters will always be in constant contact with us during this process, but must understand the pick up time from the airport may change last minute.

Adopters MUST be willing to drive to the nearest major airport with whom we have a direct connection.

 

OPTION TWO: We also have the option to use ground transport if adopters are not close enough to a major airport to pick up, the dog is too large to fly in cabin (over 15 pounds), or there is some other mitigating reason for which we may need to choose ground transport.

We only use three ground transport companies--ones that we have used them many times to carry our special babies across the country. They travel in air-conditioned vans, have frequent potty breaks during the day, and are carried by people who love supporting our rescue efforts. One of the benefits to ground transport is you will know the exact pick up time well in advance, and are able to plan pick up accordingly.

However, please note that this transport option may take several days to plan depending on adopter's location. While we certify our pets are healthy enough to travel, ground transport may increase the chances that your baby may contract an upper respiratory infection from another pet on transport.

With ground transport, we will try our best to get the pet to the closest major city to the adopters, but like with airports, it may require a couple hours driving time on adopters' part.

 

*Please note: transport companies do not provide “doorstep delivery”. Typically, we are able to get the animal to the closest major city to you. Adopters are expected to be flexible and willing to pick up at an airport or nearby metropolitan city, which may be several hours away. 

 

**Additional note: LWHA will choose the best method of transport, depending on many factors such as flight volunteer availability, ground transport availability, size restrictions, geographic proximity, etc. Once we choose the method of transportation option for your pet, we will contact you and let you know the date/time/location of pickup. It is the adopter's responsibility to make pick up arrangements once transportation plans have been set. Adopters' failure to secure pick up arrangement will result in a voided adoption.