Can Your Dog Fly?

There are a lot of dogs flying these day. From Service Dogs like Poppy and Clifford to Emotional Support Animals like Pico & Q-Tip.

Poppy

Clifford

Pico

Q-Tip

There are big ones and little ones. Where do they sit? Some lay on the floor under the seat in front of you. Others sit on your lap.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Service Animals help passengers with everything from Anxiety to PTSD. They might guide the blind or assist someone in a wheelchair. These pets are highly trained.

Service Animals are generally dogs and sometimes miniature horses. Some of these amazing animals help with medical issues alerting their handler when their blood sugar is low or when they are close to having a seizure.

Emotional Support Animals calm their owners when they fly. In most cases, these animals are not trained for a specific need. They just love their owners. They provide comfort to help relieve a symptom or effect of a person’s disability.

Emotional Support Animals are generally dogs and cats. Other animals may provide support to their owners like guinea pigs or miniature horses, but exotic animals may not qualify due to risks of harm to others or potential diseases.

Most airlines will allow Emotional Support Animals, with proper documentation from a veterinarian and/or mental health counselor, and small animals such as cats and dogs can be held on the passenger’s lap during the flight.

Regarding airline policies affecting persons flying with animals that are not emotional support or service animals, most airlines charge fees and require the animal to be in a cage that can fit under the seat. If a caged animal cannot be placed under the seat, the animal flies with the luggage. You can find a lot of great information regarding traveling pets on the Department of Transportation website.

For example, American Airlines is not checking pets right now due to flight changes due to COVID19. In the past, American has been asked to transport an ant colony, a sloth, kangaroos, rabbits, lizards, pigs, crabs, wallabies and monkeys.

With Emotional Support Animals, on the other hand, they are not required to be caged, nor are people charged for flying with an Emotional Support Animal.  In 2017, Delta Air Lines had a quarter of a million passengers who boarded flights with their Emotional Support Animals.

Peanut cruises along through O’Hare in Chicago

In my own flying adventures I had to ask myself, “Will our dogs fly well or not?” Our Shitzu-Bishon mix named Ollie is hyperactive and skittish around strangers. Peanut on the other hand is calm in most circumstances unless Ollie eggs him on.

Flying with your dog isn’t as ruff as you might think.

Here is a good article on 8 Things to Consider Before Flying With Your Pet

Below you will find links to pet traveling policies of other airlines flying out of Charlotte-Douglas International Airport and Concord, NC.

Air Canada
https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/plan/special-assistance/pets.html

Allegiant Air (flies out to Concord, NC)
https://www.allegiantair.com/traveling-with-pets

America Airlnes
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/special-assistance/pets.jsp 

Delta Airlines
https://www.delta.com/us/en/pet-travel/overview

Frontier
http://www.airline-pet-policies.com/frontier-airlines-pet-policy.php

JetBlue
https://www.pettravel.com/airline_pet_rules/jetblue.cfm

Lufthansa
https://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/travelling-with-animals

Southwest
https://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/traveling-with-animals/pets/index-pol.html

Spirit
http://www.airline-pet-policies.com/spirit-airlines-pet-policy.php

United
https://www.united.com/ual/en/US/fly/travel/animals.html

Want to bring Fido? Check your Airlines for their Pet Traveling Policies

Advertisement

COVID19 Is Real

Are you being safe in the height of this Coronavirus pandemic? Are you staying home?

I know a lot of us are getting antsy to get out of our homes and back to normalcy, but we need to remain diligent.

It has been since March 23rd that States officially started implementing “Stay at home” orders.

That’s 37 days for; California, Oregon, Washington, Louisiana, Illinois, Ohio, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Some living in New York City will tell you they have been home for 47 days or more.

As of April 20, there are 42 States asking their citizens to not go out in public unless they absolutely have to. There are a handful of other States were they are utilizing the directive in only a portion their territories.

Now a number of States are looking to reopen as early as May 1st due to public pressure on Governors to get their economies rolling again.

With all of that said, there are a number of businesses deemed “essential” that may have been better suited to shut down for a period of time.

One of those is the Airline industry. International flights have been basically shut down but not domestic flights. At the current rate, airlines are losing $60 to $100 million per day.

I love working and appreciate the fact that I still can. I love helping people and many passengers are trying to get home to help ailing parents or loved ones. I just hope and pray that the airlines don’t crash and burn into bankruptcy in the process.

Many of the airlines are applying now for the stimulus money the Federal Government is offering. The sad reality is that some of them won’t survive even with the money Uncle Sam gives them.

Some financial experts say it will take at least a year and a half for the travel industry to get back to normal. I hope and pray we see an immediate pick up as States start to reopen next week.

At Piedmont Airlines in Charlotte, NC we have seen a very large drop off of passengers on flights. Current payloads are averaging about 1,600 passengers per day.

Charlotte-Douglas International is ranked as the tenth busiest airport in the United States. In peak travel seasons we board nearly 24,000 passengers every day. That is about 700 flights every day. We’re busy.

By comparison, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International is ranked the busiest airport in the world. With 2,600 flights per day they are down to 1,200. They have an estimated 104 million people come through their airport every year. That’s hard to imagine.

Even with 1,600 passengers a day coming through our airport that is still a lot of exposure to potential contamination. Boarding only five to ten passengers on a flight, I am still interacting with 20 to 40 passengers each day.

Dr. Anthony Fauci has estimated that 25 to 50 percent of cases may be asymptomatic. If that is true I may be exposed to a couple dozen contaminated people that are not showing symptoms. This does not include my coworkers.

The cruel reality is that I may be symptomatic and not realize it. That is true for any of us.

This is a real concern. How many are you exposing yourself too.

Airline workers are purposely placing themselves in harms way to insure people can get home to check on loved ones. If you do not have to fly right now, please stay home.

Some States are now adopting a wear masks in public ordinance to help the continued mitigation of the virus.

The airlines are trying to follow suit. This is a good thing.

As employees we have been asking for masks, hand sanitizer and alcohol wipes for weeks. Due to the worldwide demand the airlines have not been able to provide them until this past week. Note: Alcohol wipes are still not being delivered.

Because of the demand people are making their own masks.

One local woman has been making masks in her living room in exchange for a donation to the Humane Society. She heard our need and provided us a couple dozen masks. Thanks Ila.

A friend of mine posted the reality of this pandemic and how it can decimate families.

This is real folks.

Please be smart. Be careful. Be safe.

Give Him A Call

It has now been 24 days since North Carolina issued their “Stay at home” order that has quarantined more than 10 million people. (Stay at home orders by State)

My wife and I have been honoring that order even though we live just over the border in South Carolina.

Our church in North Carolina has been streaming every Sunday for four weeks now.  I thank God for their service. It has been a technical challenge for the Pastors and the Worship Team, but they have been dedicated including Easter Sunday.

Communion Service at home. (Click on image and advance to see how the elements were administered)

Some would say we are attending the Church of the Living Room. Some of our friends may be going to St. Mattress of the Springs or Bedside Baptist.

Is it real? Yes… different, but this is our new reality.

It has been weird not being able to fellowship with our friends at Steele Creek Church of Charlotte. Being as relational as I am, I miss it.

Some folks are keeping their home groups intact by meeting on Zoom. Some are doing bible studies by way of video conferencing. That’s impressive.

Our home group hasn’t met since mid-March. I miss them.

This is a weird time. It is easy to become so isolated that you forget there are other people out there.

Our friends become characters on TV like; Hotch from Criminal Minds and the Reagan family on Blue Bloods.

Our perspective of the world is blurry. Our sense of reality is not real. It feels like we are living in a bubble.

How are you surviving your quarantine? How are you spending your time? Who are you connecting with?

Even my time with God has dwindled. You would think that since we are sequestered to our homes that we would spend more time with Him, but it is really easy to fall into the traps of the enemy through distractions like Netflix and games on social media or our phones.

A friend of mine put it beautifully in her blog entitled Call Waiting. A graceful reminder that God is always available through prayer.

My prayer today is that we all find time with God. He is not punishing us with this plague. He really just wants to spend time with us.

Give Him a call.

Reach Out And Post Somebody

What are you doing to stay connected?

The Coronavirus has forced us all into isolation, but there are some great ways to connect through social media.

We are living in a time of quarantine yet the world seems so much smaller. Everyday people are reaching out looking to play games, have some fun, and give a perspective from their windows.

Gaming

Did you know that the World Health Organization is encouraging people to play video games amid the coronavirus pandemic?

Here is an article from Parade.com titled The 22 Best Online Games to Play With Friends During the Coronavirus Outbreak. You may have some of your own that you can recommend in the comments.

Fun Interaction

I have received invites from friends to do everything from photo challenges to online trivia contests.

There are suddenly a ton of quizzes to challenge you or you can list the Top 10 celebrities you have met.

What are you doing for fun these days?

Your point of view

One of my favorite activities that has come out of our captivity is how neighbors are connecting by singing out their windows.

Others are posting photos to share their view from a window.

Music

I love music and it has been a wonderful distraction from our “Stay at home” lives.

Everything from recitals to benefit concerts are being used to help lift the spirits of all of us.

Food

A lot of people find comfort in food.

Other than pictures of their pets, I think most of us post more photos of our food than anything else. This is a pre-COVID19 phenomenon that will probably out last all of us.

I am guilty of this and it drives my wife nuts. I’ve shared everything from my banana bread, chicken enchilada and peanut butter & jelly sandwich recipes to donuts.

Connecting

Online meeting places like Zoom and GoToMeeting are getting very popular for gatherings other than work.

One of my friends is participating in a bible study using these platforms. Some men’s groups gather for fellowship through their laptops.

There’s no wrong way

Social media is a great way to stay connected with friends and family. For example, before the quarantine I was meeting regularly with my nephew through Skype. He was stationed in Japan.

We are designed for fellowship

God created us for fellowship. God created Adam because He wanted to share the world with him.

Do not let COVID19 isolate you more than it already has. Reach out to someone… Family… Friends… A church…

Who are you connecting with?

Empty Parking Lots

Easter Sunday is here and we are all in our homes… alone…due to the Coronavirus. Or so we feel.

Our church parking lots are empty, but remember, so is Jesus’ tomb.

Easter reminds us that He is alive and because He is alive, He is with us every minute of every day.

To help you with that reminder, here are a few songs that I find helpful to renew my spirit. Listen to my Easter Playlist or find your own mix. Just don’t let the enemy tell you no one cares that you are home alone. That is a lie. We are all here together… in Spirit and in His Truth.

Today is the most important day for a Christian. It is because He rose from the dead that we believe. Otherwise we are just another religion.

If you are not a believer that Jesus died for you and that he rose from the dead, please consider reading the Book of John.  Here is a good summary in two parts (Chapter 1-12 and Chapter 13-21). If nothing else, remember that he loves you and always will.

These songs are not listed in any particular order. Enjoy these individually or listen to them on my Easter Playlist.  Note: If interested, check out my Music Playlist for other great Praise & Worship music.

The Lord’s Prayer performed by Andrea Bocelli

 

Forever performed by Kari Jobe

 

We’re You There performed by Michael W. Smith

 

Glorious Day performed by Casting Crowns

 

Because He Lives performed by Alabama

 

He Is Alive performed by Third Day

 

It Is Well performed by Kristene DiMarco

 

What A Friend We Have In Jesus performed by Larry Ford

 

All My Hope performed by Crowder

 

Jesus Paid It All performed by Newsboys

 

Thank you Jesus for sacrificing Your life on the cross, delivering us and by doing so insuring we are never alone.

Wiped Out?

Have you had any luck finding antiseptic wipes? It seems that nobody is right now.

I need to go back to work to apologize for criticizing them for not providing cleaning solutions for their front-line workers. Their recommendation has been to use hand sanitizer with a paper towel.

The sad reality is that paper towels are scarce too so some workers are resorting to wiping down their work stations using printer paper. Really?

Hand sanitizers have become so valuable that we are being directed to lock them up before walking away from our posts.

 

The Coronavirus is winning the war on yet another front.

Every grocery store I have gone to has been out of stock. The store clerks tell me that shoppers are at the door every morning when they open up. These people then proceed to clear out their stock of toilet paper, paper towels, Kleenex and antiseptic wipes.

All of the pharmacies including Walgreen’s and CVS cannot keep them in stock either.

 

There are a lot of posts when you search the Internet for “antiseptic wipes,” including a number of advertisements. The problem is availability.

The top AD on Amazon’s website is a 60-pack for $8.80. It appears to be “In Stock,” but the only shipping option is Standard and the estimated delivery is May 6 through the 28th. I could be contaminated by then.

Amazon does offer a 20-pack of antiseptic hand wipes for $2.43. Great price. The problem is they will not be in stock until May 26. That’s six weeks from now. I could be dead by then.

On the same 60-pack on Amazon the seller is noted as Suxman-US. I was unable to locate their website. All of the findings when searching this company point to Amazon. Is this what a hamster’s life feels like?

Hey look! I just found all the toilet paper. The Facebook Marketplace is loaded.

Antiseptic wipes? Nothing within 40 miles and no one is shipping.

Plenty of first aid kits. Do I want to pay $34 for a few band aids, an ace bandage and the possible dried up bacterial wipe?

Did you know that some people are making their own wipes. They are with lotion, rubbing alcohol and heavy duty paper towels. Genius. So where are they finding the paper towels?

I keep hearing my momma’s voice saying, “Wash your damn hands!”

You know, sometimes you have to just laugh at the situation.

Final thought. Please consider sharing this article with suggestions where you have been successful finding antiseptic wipes. Or put your suggestions in the Comments below. Thanks.

Now I need to go apologize to my boss. Stay safe.