People in Colorado love their pets! So, the Denver international airport (DEN) sees many small pets traveling through with their people each year. Especially around the holiday season. Many people travel to Aquaticdog to find the puppy of their dreams and fly back home with their new family member. Thankfully, traveling through the security checkpoint at (DEN) with your pet can be easy when you know what to expect.
“TSA recognizes that for many pet owners, their animals are an extension of their family, and they want to travel together,” said TSA Deputy Federal Security Director for Colorado Anne Cross “Becoming familiar with the screening procedures and how to clear security quickly and easily is the first step to embarking on a great trip with your pet.” LINK
Puppies (and other small pets) should travel in the cabin of the aircraft with their owners in a small travel crate that will fit underneath the airline seats. A soft sided carrier that allows the puppy to stand, turn around, and lie down works best in most cases.
The following guidelines are the best way to proceed through the security checkpoint at DEN.
All pets should be brought to the security checkpoint in a hand-held travel carrier. Remove the pet from the carrier just prior to the beginning of the screening process.
Place the empty travel carrier so it can be x-rayed.
Never place a pet in the x-ray tunnel. The x-ray at the security checkpoint is used to screen passengers’ personal property and carry-on luggage only.
If possible, carry the pet during the screening process. Alternately, a pet can walk through the screening process if the owner has the pet on a leash.
A TSA officer will give the pet owner’s hands an explosive trace detection swab to ensure there is no explosive residue on the owner’s hands.
Once the screening process is complete, owners should return the pet to the travel carrier at the re-composure area away from the security checkpoint. This location helps ensure the safety of the pet as well as other passengers.
Other helpful travel tips to make your trip as easy as possible include actions such as acclimating your pet to the process of travel by familiarizing them with the travel carrier in the days leading up to the trip. This familiarization will help ensure the pet is more relaxed as it travels through the security process and the airport. You can do this by feeding your puppy in the carrier to let them get comfortable.
All our puppies are up to date on vaccinations and deworming procedures. They are also microchipped, so make sure you have your puppies vaccination records and microchip number on hand. A small travel bag of food for your puppy can be helpful, especially for longer travel days. Take your puppy out to give them an opportunity to eliminate before your flight, be mindful with their feeding schedule to reduce the need to potty during the flight.
Another great tip is to book a direct flight when possible. This reduces stress on your puppy and you!
Finally, call your airline and make sure they allow travel with small pets, and pay any fees necessary. Some airlines that allow travel with small pets will have a 12-week age restriction on puppies and kittens for travel so make sure you confirm with an agent before booking your flight.
Happy travels ~~~~~<3
