[NAGDU] DOT travel forms, again

Sat Jun 15 13:53:53 UTC 2024

Hi all,
I have a story to tell about travel forms. Last October, I flew to Washington DC for a conference, knowing nothing about these travel forms. I hadn't flown anywhere since taking my guided dog home from California in 2018. So when I got to the Alaska Airlines gate, it was a complete surprise to me, and the captain, that I could not board. The captain himself helped fill out the forms, escorted me onto the plane himself, make sure I was comfortably seated, and then, when we landed, escorted me off the plane and showed me where to stand to be picked up by Lyft! (sounds like the beginning of a Netflix romance, doesn't it?) I was so impressed. If that captain is out there, thank you! You made an awful experience wonderfully memorable.
Elizabeth

> On Jun 15, 2024, at 4:45 AM, Tracy Carcione via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> I haven't needed a blood test.  Last time, I was required to have every
> rabies certificate Igloo ever got, which was a real pain, since TSE wouldn't
> give me his puppy cert.  It had the raiser's address on it, OMG.  So I had
> to start over as if he'd never been vaccinated before.  But now I have all
> his shots straightened out, and he's good.  Not sure yet what the CDC is
> going to require to let him back in our country.  Really, I have a better
> chance of winning PowerBall than Igloo has of having rabies, but what can
> you do.
> Tracy
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Joy via NAGDU
> Sent: Friday, June 14, 2024 4:29 PM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: joy.relton at icloud.com
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] DOT travel forms, again
> 
> Wow, the blood tests are required, as I understand it, in the UK, Mexico,
> and most of Europe. I think someone told me that Hawaii does too although
> that doesn't sound right.
> It was on the airline's web site about the dog food and I confirmed with a
> friend of mine who travels a lot and he said that in Mexico you are allowed
> to bring in one day's portions. He always just packs enough for the full
> trip and they don't check. If it hadn't been for the timing on the blood
> test I might have done so as well. It's so frustrating.
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione via NAGDU
> Sent: Friday, June 14, 2024 1:06 PM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: carcione at access.net
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] DOT travel forms, again
> 
> Hi Joy.
> I've never had any issue bringing dogfood into Ireland.  I don't have to do
> a blood test for Igloo, either.  I just have to have a USDA-approved vet
> fill out all the paperwork within 10 days of travel, and give Igloo a tape
> worm treatment a day or 2 before we go.
> It would be more complicated if we were going into Northern Ireland, which
> is still part of the UK, but we're staying in the south.
> Tracy
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Joy via NAGDU
> Sent: Friday, June 14, 2024 3:48 PM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: joy.relton at icloud.com
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] DOT travel forms, again
> 
> Tracy,
> 
> I am so sorry to hear that you are having these problems.
> 
> BTW, how are you dealing with the issue of not being able to bring your dog
> food into the country. I was going to bring my dog with me on our trip to
> England this July but because of the time constraints of getting the blood
> tests between convention and our flight I decided not to do it. The icing on
> the cake was the part where it said that I could not bring my own dog food
> with me. At that time the dog food that I was feeding her is not available
> in England. This apparently is not unique to Britain as there is a similar
> requirement in at least Mexico, and I'm told other countries. Either  way, I
> would never travel with a dog and change their food immediately upon
> arrival. That could be rough on the dog and me. Not my idea of a relaxing
> vacation.
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione via NAGDU
> Sent: Friday, June 14, 2024 10:03 AM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: carcione at access.net
> Subject: [NAGDU] DOT travel forms, again
> 
> I'm going back to Ireland in October, and I want to take Igloo.  It's been
> helpful to have him with me there, despite the many hassles of making it
> happen.  (BTW, I've been to Ireland 3 times with a dog now, and not had any
> trouble at all once I've arrived.)
> 
> I'm flying to Ireland on an Irish airlines, but someone during booking said
> I have to fill out the DOT travel forms.  I have done so, with the help of
> AIRA.  Now the trick is to find out where to put the darned thing on the
> airlines website.  After spending at least half an hour trying to figure
> that out, I found a place to contact disability services and ask.  When we
> called disability services on the phone, the person we got was clueless.
> 
> Why does this have to be so hard?!  DOT's estimate of 15 minutes is utterly
> ridiculous, and I said so in my recent comments.  I estimated 45 minutes,
> and that may be on the low side.  The whole thing deeply offends me.  Every
> time, I hear some Nazi thug yelling at me "Where are your papers!"  But I
> must never forget that, as a disabled person who uses a service dog, I am a
> second-class citizen at best.  Grrrr.
> 
> And now the CDC is going to require some kind of form to let me back in the
> country.  Huh, and to think at one time I thought the process of getting the
> Irish health certificate was the complicated bit.  Now it's my own
> government making me nuts.
> 
> Tracy
> 
> 
> 
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