Mission Statement

The Vivi Crusade will produce a standard for safe air transportation for pets. The Vivi Crusade will strive to develop methods that will promote proper handling of pets for airline personnel and shippers that meet the requirements of all security agencies. Safety and security will be our first consideration. All activities will be conducted to the highest ethical and professional standards.

Strategic Objectives

The Vivi Crusade has strategic objectives. These objectives are derived from our Mission Statement.

1. Improve handling of pets during air transport. Continuously strive to open communications with commercial airlines that currently offer pet travel. Offer training elements for airline personnel that will comprehensively and specifically cover all aspects of proper acceptance, including, but not limited to correct paperwork. Insure that all areas of safety and security requirements are adhered to.

2. Improve reporting of accidents, misrouting, delays, injuries, and death of pets. Create and or improve current reporting system required by the United States Transportation Department. Insure all airline management personnel as well as other airline personnel responsible for handling pets are trained and knowledgeable on reporting requirements. Streamline and simplify reporting methods on an ongoing basis.

3. Create and maintain Vivi Crusade Website. A public website will offer information on all aspects of safe pet travel. The site will also serve as an information exchange and compiling engine i.e.: interviews, surveys, articles, etc.

4. Create partnerships. Work with airlines, security agencies, crate manufacturers, pet related media, veterinarians, etc. to provide the most comprehensive service to the shipper/customer.

5. Lower incident rates. Strive to reduce the incident rates through ongoing communication and education of both the public and airlines. Offer assistance and guidance through newsletters and website links. Work with crate manufacturers to improve products offered for safe transportation. Share information gathered with all partners on an ongoing basis.

URGENT MESSAGE

IF YOU ARE FLYING DOGS

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT MULTIPLE LAYERS OF SECURITY CHECKS CAN BE PERFORMED WHILE HANDLING YOUR DOGS DURING AND AFTER CHECK-IN AT YOUR AIRLINES

PLEASE TAKE THE FOLLOWING STEPS WHEN FLYING YOUR DOGS

Carefully inspect your own crates. Check all locks, screws and connections. Have zip ties readily available. Drill holes at the top, bottom and both sides around the door of the crate. This will allow you to add the zip ties AFTER the Transportation Security Administration’s inspection of the crate.

When checking in, have the ticket agent call a TSA agent over or ask where to take the crate to a TSA security station for inspection before handing the dog over to the AIRLINES for shipping. Airline employees may not know to do so. TSA work for the US Government and AIRPORT not the airlines.

After TSA inspects the crate they will place a Homeland Security tag on the crate and then the zip ties can be applied to further secure the dog.

Post a sign that says DO NOT OPEN EXCEPT IN EMERGENCY & ONLY IN AN ENCLOSED ROOM on top of the crate, above the door.

Post your contact information, including CELL PHONE NUMBER boldly on all sides of the crate, with instructions to contact you immediately if needed for the handling of your dog. Keep your cell phone on until the very last minute.

Let the airline personnel know to immediately notify you in the event any additional security checks are needed.

Do not hesitate to request your dog NOT be transported on a tug to the aircraft.

Ask where your dog will be kept until loaded. Go to your gate and watch the crate being loaded. Dogs are last to load and first off, this is an FAA rule.

Tell the ticket agent at the gate you are waiting for a dog to be loaded before you board the plane. If you MUST board the plane before the dog is loaded, tell the flight attendant to notify the Captain to confirm the dog has been safely loaded (describe the crate) or you will have to get off the plane!

Upon arrival, make sure your crate was taken off the plane.

DO NOT BE SHY, ask questions. Make people aware. Be assertive but professional and take whatever steps necessary to insure your dogs are handled correctly.

Your knowledge and involvement can mean a world of difference in the safe handling of your dog.

STILL MISSING from JFK Airport - Vivi, the whippet – any info please call 877-JFK-VIVI

We Need Your Help

Dear Fellow Pet Lover,

Many of you may, or may not have, heard about Vivi, CH. Bohem C’est la Vie, the whippet who was lost while in the care of Delta Airlines at JKF Airport in New York City, after competing at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show, on February 15, 2006. Vivi is still missing.

In 2005, the Safe Air Travel for Animals Act was put into play. Also called the “Boris Bill”, named after Barbara Listenik’s dog who was lost during transport via the airlines, requires that airlines must report on all pets lost, injured or killed while in the care of the airlines.

This reporting is posted monthly on the USA Department of Transportation web site: http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/reports/index.htm

Fortunately, the number of pets lost, injured or killed since the reporting process began, is approximately 100 incidents. However, one pet that is lost injured or killed during airline transport is one too many. Granted, some of the incidents that have been reported were at no fault of the airlines, but through education of airline employees and educating the pet owners fewer incidents may happen.

Also, as part of the Safe Air Travel for Animals Act, all airline employees must be trained in the proper handling of pets while in their care. Through numerous correspondence from many people who have used the airlines for their pets transport, we are finding out that there doesn't seem to be much training at all.

We've also come to find that many pets are lost during their flights, are either lost/misplaced somewhere within the terminal or they were mistakenly shipped to another airport. There is no real tracking done on the crates these pets are traveling in and much confusion and heartache to the pets owner when these type of incidents occur. So far, we have not seen any of these type of incidents reported by the airlines. It seems the reporting is only done if the animal is NOT recovered and the lost pet incident, whether it's lost for an hour or a day, does NOT get reported.

The Vivi Crusade needs your help to gather information on any and all incidents of injured, killed or lost pets, even if the pet was lost for a short period of time and whether or not there was no report filed by the owner.

Please forward the enclosed/attached Vivi Crusade Questionnaire to as many animal lovers as possible so that we can gather information to help the Vivi Crusade make air travel safer for pets.

Together, we will make a difference.

Thank you.
The Vivi Crusade Team

For more information about transporting animals, please visit:
http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/publications/animals.htm

To send the cover letter with the questionnaire click HERE to print.

Vivi Crusade Questionnaire

This questionnaire’s sole purpose is to gather information on any and all airline incidents involving pets even if the incident was not formally reported, i.e.; delays, check-in, receiving, loss of pet (even if later found), pet injuries, death of pet, etc. Please complete the questions below as detailed as possible and return the completed form either by email to Pawsativebf@aol.com, fax 516-379-0975, or by mail to Vivi Crusade, 3392 Bay Front Place, Baldwin, NY 11510. Your responses will be kept confidential unless you agree to disclosure. Thank you in advance for your participation.

Owners name ________________________________________

Owners address ________________________________________
________________________________________

Email address ________________________________________

Phone (optional) ________________________________________

Type of pet ________________________________________

Breed of pet ________________________________________

Age of pet at time of incident ___________

Overall health of pet at time of incident _____________________________________

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Date of Incident____________________________ Flight #_______________________

Airline/Airlines ______________________________________________________

Airport/s & City/ies ______________________________________________________

Weather conditions ______________________________________________________

Reason for travel- Examples: sale, breeding, move, vacation, dog show, etc.
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Was your pet traveling with you? ______ If not, who was pet traveling with?
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Did you supply your own crate or did you purchase it from the airline?
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What brand was the crate, if you recall? ____________________________________
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Was the flight non-stop _____ or how many stops _______

In the event your pet was injured, lost (even for a brief period of time),
or if your pet died, how did the airline personnel notify you?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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Did you/they fill out a report? ______ Do you have a copy? _______

Did they offer any compensation? __________________________________________

Was there any subsequent follow-up on yours or the airlines part to the incident?
If so, please describe _____________________________________________________
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Please feel free to add any comments regarding your experience that may not have
been covered by the above questions. Use as much space as needed.
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Yes______I agree to disclosure No_____I wish to remain anonymous

_______________________________ _____________________________
Signature Date

Thank you for taking the time to fill out the Vivi Crusade Questionnaire. It is with your help that we will make a difference, in the future, for our pets to be safely transported via the airlines.
www.vivicrusade.org

Click Here to print.

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