Submitted By:Rick Powell

The tragic events of September 11, 2001, resulted in widespread changes for air travelers all over the world and the pet shipping industry as well. Professional pet shipping firms had to achieve Known Shipper Status from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to expedite the shipping of pets and carefully follow the guidelines set forth by the TSA to maintain their Known Shipper Status.

What is Known Shipper Status?

In 1999, the Federal Aviation Agency implemented changes in the way that goods were shipped by air in an effort to improve air safety. Following 9/11, those measures were enhanced further with more stringent guidelines for obtaining and keeping Known Shipper Status. Known Shipper Status is essentially a vetting process to ensure that most air cargo shipped throughout most of the world is shipped by professional, legitimate shipping companies. If a container is shipped through a company that has attained Known Shipper Status, it is deemed by the airlines and the TSA to be less likely to contain contraband or explosives and will be inspected less frequently. This streamlines the inspection process considerably and allows cargo to travel more quickly to its destination.

Why Known Shipper Status is so Important for Pet Shipping

When shipping your pet, it’s very important to use the services of a reputable pet relocation company like ours that has achieved and maintained Known Shipping Status because the pet will arrive at its destination more quickly due to fewer crate inspections. But most important of all, fewer inspections mean that the pet is far less likely to be removed from the crate and suffer injury or be lost en route.

Until recently, some pet relocation firms in smaller cities were ‘selling’ the use of their Known Shipping Status number to their clients and making them handle the shipping arrangements themselves, essentially charging them a fee for doing nothing more than providing their number and some paperwork. Not only is this illegal, it also endangers the life of the pet and at the very least, amounts to ripping off their clients. Reputable pet relocation companies like ours, as well as pets, are put at risk from these unethical procedures and recently the TSA has begun cracking down on these outfits and revoking their Known Shipping Status.

Every month, our facilities are inspected by the TSA to ensure that we continue to follow the Known Shipper Status guidelines. These inspections and compliance cost us a great deal of money each month but since September 11, 2001, it’s simply part of the costs of doing business for us and maintaining our status is a priority second only to making sure each pet arrives safely to its destination. If you need pet relocation services, you can rely on professional pet relocation companies like ours to get your furry friends to their destination as safely and quickly as possible.

We’ll make all the arrangements for you so that the process is as fast and easy as possible.