Dear animal lovers!
Taking care of an animal brings lots of joy but also responsibility for its entire life. Holiday season tests this sense of responsibility, e.g. if no animals are allowed at your holiday resort, or the itinerary can’t be designed animal-friendly.
As the minister of animal protection as well as a dog owner it is my concern to inform you about solutions to your problems, to prevent not only the abandonment of animals but also the delivery at an animal shelter due to missing alternatives. To help you with important questions our specialist department for animal protection has built this small set of informations, which shows alternatives and solutions for animal owners. With this I wish you and your animal a pleasant trip.
Dr.Sabine Oberhauser, MAS / Federal Health Minister Austria

Most cats don’t like a change of environment, and travelling causes them stress. The ideal solution would be to leave the cat with neighbors, friends or other family members to feed and take care of it.

An instruction for potential medication duties as well as an address of a nearby animal doctor should be given to the person who is to take care of the cat.
Never simply leave the cat at home with food and water while you’re gone! That’s animal cruelty.

Ferrets, rats, mice, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, fish etc. should be left at home in principle. The same goes for cats, though the characteristics of this animal or the housing conditions, especially of exotic pets, is to be closely respected.

Lots of animals react either shyly or aggressively to the new care-taking situation. The person looking after those animals should be experienced. It is very important, that he or she has the phone number of a qualified contact person in case of an emergency.
Be careful where you place the cage – too much sun can be dangerous for certain animals. Do not mean too well with the fishes; overfeeding is bad for the water in the fish tank.

There are special regulations for countries that are not part of the EU. Please enquire about those in the appropriate embassy.

Only healthy animals are allowed to be transported. Dog puppies and kittens have to be at least 8 weeks old at the time of departure. You need a pet passport with valid rabies vaccine for dogs, cats and ferrets from 3 months of age as well as an identification chip. Some EU countries request the compliance with further regulations in terms of parasite control.

You will find information on regulations regarding dog license, leash and muzzle duty at the district administration authorities as well as the local authorities.

Attention! To be able to go back to Austria from third countries it is necessary to carry along a pet passport with valid rabies vaccine and serological rabies examination. Even if your trip is short, those regulations have to be complied with!

As dogs are pack animals, they don’t like to be separated from their family. It is important to evaluate whether the trip is acceptable for the dog as well as for its owner? Do the conditions of the trip allow for rest and recreation?

• Are you carrying a valid pet passport with you – depending on your destination’s regulations with proof of a rabies vaccine and a serological rabies examination?
• Is your dog used to sit in a car while it’s driving?
• Can you avoid heat and traffic jam during the drive? Never leave your animal in the car by itself! A heat accumulation can quickly endanger the life of your pet. Never park in the bright sun. Shadows can wander, so choose wisely where you park your car. The dog could also die within a few minutes, e.g. from extremely high outdoor temperature as well as bright sunshine because of the glasshouse-effect (heat gets stored inside the car).
• Did you plan on having a short break every 2-3 hours?
• Do you carry enough food for the first few days? A hint: Feed less or not at all before you go on a trip.
• Is your dog secured in a transport box or with a safety belt/net?
• Is there non-secured baggage that could do harm to your pet?
• Hint: Your dog will feel much more comfortable in the unknown environment if it can sit on a blanket.

• Did you book an animal friendly accommodation?
• Is the environment and climate suitable to your dog?
• If your destination is in a mountain region: Do the trips that you have planned fit your animal’s condition? Be careful if it has joint problems, is overweight or has a cardio-vascular disorder.
• Did you plan on having a short break every 2-3 hours?
• If your destination is at a seaside: Are dogs allowed at the beach? Attention: Saltwater, hot sand and bright sun can cause health issues.
• Your dog could get infected with country-specific pathogens. Ticks or mosquitoes in southern countries can transfer from animal to animal or animal to human.
• So called “bailouts” where Austrians want to take animals home to Austria are subject to disease prevention (to prevent the introduction of rabies which is absolutely fatal to humans and animals).

• The ideal situation would be to leave your dog with a caregiver whom it already knows quite well. Caregivers should get familiarized with the pet in good time. A precise instruction concerning the feeding, habits of the animal, references to incompatible elements in their neighborhood, necessary, possibly frequent medication as well as the accessibilities of the handling animal doctor in case of an emergency is advisable.
• You can also entrust your dog to boarding kennels. We recommend you to have a look at the pension in advance, so that you can imagine how it would be like if your dog stayed there.
• You should think about how the change of environment affects your animal, especially in terms of stress because it will not know that you’ll come back and pick it up after your trip.