6 Essential Tips for Travelling with Your Pet

Travelling with your pet can be stressful for both of you. Whether you're heading to the coast for the December holidays or visiting family in another province, proper preparation makes all the difference. Here are six holiday safety tips that were shared by Dr Alyssa Dillonaire, via the Veterinary Emergency Group, to help keep your pet safe and comfortable during your journey.

1. Choose the Right Carrier or Restraint

Your pet needs a secure, comfortable space during travel. For dogs, invest in a quality harness that attaches to the car's seatbelt system, or use a properly sized crate secured in the boot. Cats should always travel in a sturdy carrier with adequate ventilation.

The carrier should be large enough for your pet to stand, turn around, and lie down comfortably. Test it at home first—make sure latches are secure and your pet can't push their way out during sudden stops.

2. Take Practice Journeys

Don't make your holiday trip your pet's first experience with extended travel. Start with short drives around your neighbourhood, gradually increasing the duration. This helps your pet associate the car with positive experiences rather than anxiety.

For nervous travellers, practice trips also help you identify potential issues—motion sickness, excessive panting, or stress behaviours—that you can address before your actual journey.

3. Pack Familiar Items

Unfamiliar environments create anxiety for pets. Bring their favourite blanket, a worn t-shirt with your scent, or their usual toys. These familiar smells provide comfort in strange places.

Don't forget essentials: their regular food (sudden diet changes can cause stomach upset), medications, bowls, leash, waste bags, and any comfort items they use at home.

4. Create a Dedicated Pet Space at Your Destination

When you arrive, set up a quiet area where your pet can retreat. This is especially important if you're staying with family or at pet-friendly accommodation. A familiar bed or blanket in a calm corner helps them adjust to the new environment.

Keep their routine as consistent as possible—same feeding times, same walking schedule. Routine provides security during disruption.

5. Maintain Proper Identification

Ensure your pet wears a collar with an up-to-date ID tag showing your current mobile number. Microchips are essential, but make sure your contact details are current on the database.

Unfamiliar environments increase escape risk. Holiday destinations bring open gates, unfamiliar doors, and countless opportunities for your pet to slip away. Traditional identification helps after someone finds your pet, but it requires luck and timing.

6. Consider Real-Time GPS Tracking

This is where most travel guides fall short. All the preparation in the world can't prevent every escape scenario—a door left open at your holiday rental, a moment of distraction at a rest stop, a gap in an unfamiliar fence.

GPS tracking provides real-time location data when your pet goes missing. No waiting. No hoping someone finds them. You know exactly where they are within meters, allowing you to act immediately.

Geofencing technology takes this further by alerting you the moment your pet leaves a designated safe zone. Before they're truly lost. Before panic sets in.

Modern GPS trackers are waterproof, durable, and include features like LED safety lights for low visibility and battery alerts so you're never caught without tracking capability.

Final Thoughts

Travelling with pets requires preparation, patience, and realistic planning. These six tips work together—secure carriers, practice runs, familiar items, dedicated spaces, proper identification, and real-time tracking create layers of protection.

Your pet's safety isn't about choosing between traditional preparation and modern technology. It's about combining both to create comprehensive protection for the journeys that matter.