Ok, so my plan for writing today was to update re. the marathon training progress, aka Kim realizing how fat and unfit she really is. However, I heard about this new thing a little while ago and, as a steadfast animal lover, I think it's so freaking adorable I couldn't resist mentioning it. Just recently, a new airline was introduced; and not just any airline but a (wait for it) PET airline! That's right Pet Airways is a "pet-only airline dedicated to pet-friendly travel". On PA, pets fly in the main cabin of the plane, not in the cargo hold, and have pet attendents attending to all their needs until they land safely at their destination. At first, it sounded to me kind of like a Disney movie, and a Disney-esque image appeared in my head of cats and dogs perched in airplane seats wearing little headphones and sipping from little clear plastic cups just like people. How cute!
Obviously, the reality isn't quite that romantic - the pets are still contained in carriers and they are placed on shelves in rows. However, the beauty of this idea is that they are not contained in the dark, cold, scary underpart of the plane with no interaction for hours on end. They don't come out at their destination traumatized or sick. Besides, it's much less stress for owners travelling with or moving their pets, not to mention other passengers who may not necessarily be comfortable with an animal in the main cabin. You can track your pet through the company's website (www.petairways.com) and sign up for the "MyPaws" club, which provides (for a small membership fee) discounts on many PA partners, including 40% off pet supplies at their online store, %10 off pet-friendly hotels, and 10% off at 1-800-PetMeds.
This issue is rather close to my heart, having had first hand experience a few months ago. When my brother moved to England the beginning of February, my boyfriend and I agreed to "adopt" his cat, NutNut (for the record, my brother named her, not me). Only problem was, he had to put her on a plane from Toronto to get her to us. Sounds simple enough except that there (of course) was a snow storm the night we were to pick her up, and as such the plane had to turn around and by the time she got here at 3:30am (about 5 hours later than she was supposed to), you can imagine what her state of mind was.
So, she spent the better part of two days in a plastic box being carried by strange people through strange places with strange smells and then being passed off to her two strange new owners. Not to mention that my brother had to sign a waiver from Air Canada stating that (basically) if she was dead on arrival, they would be cleared of responsibility. She was so thrilled by this entire experience that she spent her first two to four days with us hiding under our bed. She loves us know and is very content, but man it would have been nice to have Pet Airways back then!
As the PA website states: "You see, on Pet Airways, your pets aren't packages, they're 'pawsengers'. And every step of the journey, we'll take care of them as if they were our own. Because that's exactly the way we'd want Zoe (PA creators, Dan & Alysa's, dog who inspired the venture) to be treated."
You would have to be a total asshole not to have your heart warmed by such a statement. In this day and age of negative media stories about how crappy the economy is, what foods can cause cancer, and people leaving their pets at home while fleeing wild fires, it's nice to hear about such a positive venture, one that is based on love and compassion. Ok sure, it may seem a bit silly to shell out hundreds of dollars just to fly your pet in its own airplane with his doggie friends, but the point is (at least what any pet lover/owner will tell you) that our pets are our family. You would never put your grandmother or your child in a cargo box at the bottom of the plane (no matter how much they irritate you), so why would you do that to your pet? Wouldn't you at least like to have another option? Pets bring so much joy and fulfillment into our lives and they ask for nothing in return but food and love, so the least we can do is return the favour.
So, once again I'm amazed at the genius of some people and the amazing ideas they come up with, that I wish I had thought of. Now my only question would be....ARE THEY HIRING?!
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