Summer Holidays: What Pet Owners Need to Know
During the summer holiday season, many pets are abandoned or poorly cared for. Tips for responsible pet owners.
The urge to travel is back: tour operators, hotels, and holiday rental providers are reporting high demand for the upcoming summer holidays.
The Swiss Animal Protection STS recommends organising animal-friendly care arrangements for pets and offers tips on what to keep in mind when travelling with dogs.
As a rule, it is better to leave pets such as rodents, rabbits, birds, and cats at home, provided they receive good care from neighbours, acquaintances, or professional pet sitters. They feel comfortable in their familiar surroundings; a change of location or a journey represents a major source of stress for these animals. If rabbits and guinea pigs are kept at home in a spacious, species-appropriate outdoor enclosure, it simply cannot be transported. Animals that are accustomed to plenty of space should under no circumstances be confined to a smaller cage during the holidays. If small rodents, birds, and cats can be accommodated in spacious, species-appropriate conditions at an animal shelter or boarding facility, this is certainly an animal-friendly option.
Tips for Dog Owners
Dogs love nothing more than travelling with their people, whenever the duration, mode of transport, distance, and destination allow for it. When short trips, city breaks, flights, or travel to destinations with complicated and restrictive regulations for dogs are on the agenda, the animals are better off staying at home. There they can be looked after by acquaintances, a pet sitter, or at an animal shelter, so that the journey does not become a stressful ordeal. On car journeys, always plan enough stops to let the dogs relieve themselves and provide them with fresh water. Never leave dogs unattended in a closed vehicle in the heat, even if the windows are open a crack. There is a very real and immediate risk to their lives.
What About a “Pet Godparent”?
Something that pet owners can look into in good time (not just a few days before the holidays) is finding a “pet godfather” or a “pet godmother» can be found. Close individuals who build a relationship with the pet and can care for the animal when needed — during holidays, illness, accidents, or in the event of death. In this way, pets gain an additional person to bond with. Added to this is the fact that not everyone has the opportunity to keep their own animal, yet would still like to develop a closer relationship with one.
