Moving from Florida to California with Pets!

[Nathalie Williams]

Help! I am embarking on my first major move. I have two 60 pound dogs to get to San Diego from Sarasota (just south of Tampa). My car- new Saturn Ion. Good mileage. Not a lot of stuff mostly books, cd's and clothes.Am I right in thinking it will take approx 5-6 days? $500.00-600.00? Should I get one of those small UHauls that are pulled behind the car? I'm looking for a good book with pet friendly places and for any advice I can get to calm me.

Thanks!

Check the web for good sites. Here's the only one I can think of right now

www.dogfriendly.com

[PNW Judy]

Your trip is about 2500 miles via I-10 most of the way. I think 5-6 days is doable even with dogs. Just remember to stop regularly for them to get something to drink, stretch their legs, and use the dog area to do their business. I would stop at least once every 2 hours for 10-15 minutes for them to do their business. At least this is about the longest I drive with mine without giving her a break from the car.

Since I do a lot of eating out of a cooler, longer stops for meals at a rest stop is also good for the dogs and gives them time to stretch out a bit.

As for the U-haul....well, only you can decide that. Do you have room in the car for your belongings PLUS your big dogs PLUS the gear they will need (food, bowls, etc.)? If so, then you don't need a U-haul.

I am, however, trying to figure out how both dogs are going to be comfortable in your size car for this long of a trip. Maybe your car is roomier than it looks?

I would suggest getting a seatbelt/harness system so the dogs are safe in case of an accident.

You don't mention when you are moving. If you are going when the weather will be warm enough, I would suggest camping. Then your dogs won't be a problem in a motel and they can enjoy the outdoors each night and won't be so cooped up indoors...in the car, in the motel, etc.

If you go to Amazon and do a search for "travel with pets" numerous books are listed that might be helpful. Some that sound good are "Travel With or Without Pets: 25,000 Pets-R-Permitted Accommodations, Petsitters, Kennels & More!", or "Traveling With Your Pet - The AAA PetBook", or "The Pet Travel and Fun Authority of Best-of-State Places to Play, Stay & Have Fun Along the Way: 35,000+ Accommodations, Pet Sitters, Kennels, Dog Parks & Camps, Beaches, Boating, Skiing, Festivals, Events, Attractions, Pet Bakeries, Tons-of-Pet Fun & More Guide!" But I haven't read any of these myself so I can't vouce for them. The reviews look fairly good of them all. Amazon has numerous more listings in addition to these.

Hope these ideas help.

[Mark Sedenquist]

We have a few links and some books that we personally use on the road on the <a href = "http://www.roadtripamerica.com/read/pets.htm">Pet Page</a>.