Author: Greg Mellen

Planes, trains and automobiles and … dogs! Increasingly, pet owners are taking their dogs along for the ride, whether it’s a short trip, a family visit or even an extended vacation. But do you know how to travel with a dog in the safest and most stress-free way? About 45 percent of pet owners travel with their pets every year, mostly by car, up from 19 percent a decade ago, according to the 2019–2020 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association (APPA). And while automobile remains the overwhelmingly preferred option, pet parents also travel by plane and train with their pets. However, it’s not as simple as loading your dog up and taking to the sky, rails or roads. Follow these tips for traveling with a dog by car, plane and train, and you’ll set both you and your pet up for a smooth ride.

They are the unsung heroes of war. Whether called war dogs or military working dogs, canines have become an indispensable part of modern warfare. Praised for their detection capabilities, these dogs have saved untold number of lives in the Middle East and Afghanistan sniffing out bombs and weapons caches. When not on the job during deployment, military working dogs also provide relief and happiness to the troops with whom they work. “When I was with my dog, I could tell her the same stories over and over and she’d act like it was the first time she heard it,” Technical Sergeant Patrick Meade says about Liska, the dog he deployed with to combat. There also were times Liska provided levity that made war a bit more bearable. Meade recalls one time in particular: He and Liska were on a helicopter with about 60 troops, and Liska was happily running back and forth receiving pats from the servicemen. In fact, she was so happy that she didn’t want to leave when Meade disembarked. “She wouldn’t come,” Meade says with a laugh. “It was like she was saying ‘there are 60 people to pet me.’” Curious about these courageous canines? Here’s what you need to know.