Rosie - Jack Russell

Credit: Aviatrix Aerogram - Barbara A. and her husband fly with a Jack Russell Terrier named Rosie. Barbara is the right seat passenger in the couple’s C-172 and Rosie usually rides in her lap. Rosie also has a folding soft-sided kennel for in the back. How do you provide comfort and care for your pet while flying? Rosie wears her Mutt Muffs. When we first tried them on her at home, she didn't like them and took them right off. Once in the airplane we put them on her. I took them off after a few minutes and then put them back on. She has never complained about them since. She does not like the noise. How does your pet react to being in the aircraft? Rosie loves getting to go anywhere with us. Her kennel fits on the back of my recumbent trike. She loves bike rides. The plane was just a noisier car. She only looked out the window a couple of times. Rosie has been on two long crosscountry trips. She never got sick. How do your friends and the people you meet on the ground react to seeing your pet emerge from the aircraft with you after you land? On our trip to Oshkosh and back this past summer I was pleased that Rosie was welcome in every FBO we stopped at. Most had water bowls, dog cookies, and many offered dog food. Do you have an especially memorable experience about flying with your pet? We stopped at one airport in the middle of a cornfield. The corn grew right up to the fence. A young family ran the FBO. The dad kept care of his kids at work. The kids played with Rosie and made her right at home. What are some of the challenges of having an animal on board the aircraft? Even Rosie gets hot and heavy on a long flight. We had to coordinate finding a pet friendly motel with an airport shuttle. We found two separate lists on the internet and compared the two. Sometimes we lucked out and got to use the courtesy car. People were really helpful. We didn't make any reservations along the way because we needed to be flexible. We stopped a few places we hadn't planned on. Anything else you would like to share about flying with your pet? Rosie is chipped. We had a current health certificate so we could leave her in doggie daycare. She has a nametag with our cell phone number.