Irish Ferries - Pet Travel

(Reproduced with kind permission of Irish Ferries Media Team who retain copyright on text and images)

Ahead of the busy summer travel season, Irish Ferries has teamed up with well-known veterinarian Dr Bobby Ortiz (@dogtor_bob) to offer some expert insight and advice for people travelling with their pets. Dr Ortiz commended Irish Ferries for its new pet den facilities, describing them as the best he has ever seen for helping ensure pet travel is as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.

• Optimise your pet’s journey by never travelling on hot days and always at the coolest part of the day such as late in the evening, early morning or overnight, where possible.
• While visiting the vet for your pet’s requisite vaccinations, always make sure a ‘fit for travel’ pet health check is performed to ensure the pet is in fit condition especially if older or is prone to illness or heat stroke.
• If you are leaving your dog in your vehicle rather than using the pet den, cabin or kennel facilities, make sure there is sufficient ventilation for your pet. Creating a flow of fresh air can be helped by opening both the driver and passenger’s front windows. However, take care to ensure that your dog cannot escape from their carrier or your vehicle.

• If you are taking your dog to an onboard kennel, make sure you take some bedding and perhaps some familiar items, such as dog toys/treats so that they are comfortable.
• Make sure your dog’s water container is full with clean fresh water that’s accessible throughout the ferry crossing.
• Try to get your pets introduced to travelling inside of their crates/carriers weeks before their traveling date. Place the crate in an accessible area of your house and allow the pet to walk in and out of it freely and hide treats inside frequently. This allows them to become more comfortable with the crate and recognise this as being a safe place. 

Pet Passports

Pets should ideally be added at time of booking to ensure availability of facilities. Passengers are asked to familiarise themselves with pet passport and government regulations applying to pet travel and to ensure that all documentation, anti-parasitic treatments, micro chipping and any requisite inoculations are in place, and terms and conditions for travel met. More information on the requirements for travelling with pets is available HERE