More and more people are traveling with their pets, choosing to bring them along rather than leave them at home or kennel them. Although traveling with your dog may be less expensive than paying for a kennel or hiring someone to stay with them, there may be added costs involved. These tips can help you save money on pet travel so your four-legged family members can enjoy a trip as well.

The first thing you want to do is to be sure and pack as many supplies as necessary for your pet to travel with you. You want to be sure they have plenty of food, treats, toys and medication. Be sure to budget for some extra costs like special treats at that specialty bakery at your destination or a special toy to keep your pet occupied while you travel.

Heading to your destination by car does make it a little easier for pet transportation. You will need to find dog-friendly hotels along the way and factor in any additional fees they may charge for a pet room. If you are traveling a long distance, you may need to add additional nights in hotels so you will want to factor that into your budget as well as to determine if it is less expensive to fly with your pet.

When you are flying with dogs, you may have the option of allowing the dog to fly in the cabin with you as long as the dog is a certified service or support animal. If you claim the dog is a support animal, you will need to provide medical documentation to the airline that states you need the dog for emotional support at all times. You may want to do some research into which airline has the lowest fees for flying with dogs as some offer much higher fees for dog fares than they do for human fares. You may need to call the airline to find out how much does it cost to fly with a dog. In most cases, dog travel via airline is easier than cat travel.

Airlines often allow a limited number of pets in the cabin on flights. There is usually an additional fee for each animal. Since the ADA only recognizes dogs as service or support animals, claiming you are flying with cats for emotional support may not work. The best way to determine if flying with cats is an option is to contact the airline to see if they allow animals inside the cabin or if the cats will need to fly another way. When you call, you can also ask how much does it cost to fly with a dog or a cat.

If you are considering pet travel, visit EmployeeandMemberDiscounts.com. We offer a wide range of savings on pet transportation, cat and dog travel as well as the supplies you will need during your trip. These are discounts that were previously only available to certain employees or organization members but are now available to everyone. There is no membership fee and you can begin saving immediately.

If you have ever owned a pet, you know how much emotional support they can provide. They may help you get out and exercise or they might just be company if you live alone. However, there are many people who depend on their pet to function each day. An emotional support animal can be critical to the physical and mental health of someone who may be unable to deal with challenges most people can handle easily on a daily basis. Most emotional support animals are dogs, but they can be any type of animal.

Emotional support dogs, like other emotional support animals, provide their owner with an emotional connection. However, to be legally recognized, the pet must be prescribed by a licensed mental health professional such as a psychiatrist, psychologist or therapist. There are many reasons why a therapist may prescribe a pet for emotional support. Emotional support animals may ease severe anxiety or provide someone with focus in life. In addition, the owner or therapist must complete emotional support dog registration in order for the designation to be recognized.

A support dog provides an important service by easing depression, anxiety and even some phobias. They are not, however, considered service dogs under the Americans with Disabilities Act. A service animal is trained to perform tasks for those who suffer from disabilities. The ADA clearly states that emotional support animals do not qualify as a service animal. The key difference between the two types of animals is training. For example, a service dog is trained to alert a hearing-impaired person that an alarm is going off or someone with a seizure disorder that they need to get somewhere safe as they are about to have a seizure. A registered emotional support animal has not undergone training despite the fact that they recognize when their owner needs their support. Unless the animal has been specifically trained for such purpose, it is not a service dog.

Although an emotional support dog is not a service dog, they do have more rights than your typical pet. The Fair Housing Act includes emotional support dog certification as a protected right under housing laws. Even if a house or apartment has a no pet policy, if a tenant has a pet that has emotional support animal registration, they cannot be denied housing. They also cannot be denied if their animal is a certain species or over a certain size. The Air Carrier Access Act also allows an animal with ESA dog registration to accompany the owner in the cabin of an aircraft. You may be required to provide proof of registration.

One thing many people may not realize is that a service animal can only be a dog while emotional support pets can be any type of animal. They must be well-behaved, housetrained and may not be nuisance or danger to others. Although it may be tempting to complete an emotional support dog application just to live in no-pet housing or allow your pet to travel with you, doing so could make it difficult to those who are disabled, especially if your pet is not well-behaved.
Emotional Support Animal Registration

If you suffer from a variety of illnesses, including PTSD, depression, phobias, anxiety, panic attacks or loneliness, a registered emotional support animal may be the answer. Your doctor or mental health professional can provide you with the written documentation you need for ESA dog registration. Although any animal can be a support animal, most are dogs. When choosing a pet you will use for emotional support, find one that is calm, friendly and manageable. The dog does not need to be a pure breed as you can find many animals that are perfect for support at an animal shelter.

Although most businesses will accept an emotional support dog letter from a mental health provider, many will require emotional support dog certification. There are several companies online that provide the certification which you can obtain simply by completing an emotional support animal application. The cost for emotional support dog registration varies but can be as high as $200 or more.

mployeeandmemberdiscounts.com offers discounts on emotional support animal application requirements. You can find many discounts that were previously only available to students, the military, alumni and more. Employeeandmemberdiscounts.com makes these discounts available to everyone. You can find several discounts that can lower the cost of your emotional support dog registration simply by signing up. There is no fee to join and you can begin accessing discounts immediately.

Employeeandmemberdiscounts.com can also help you set up your own discount program if you own a business or manage an organization. Contact us today by calling or filling out the easy online form to learn more.