By 2020 there will be Hundreds of Flight-Veterinarians Worldwide

Oct. 1, 2010 - PRLog -- According to Dr. Eytan Kreiner, the worlds first flight veterinarian and head of the Veterinarian Division at Animal Airways, a global pet flight & relocation provider that was established to meet the needs of diverse populations that travel, immigrate and relocate worldwide with pets.

According to Dr. Kreiner (MRCVS): "The demand for veterinarians that specialize in flight veterinary is increasing and i anticipate that by 2020 flight veterinary will be a crucial part of academic programs in universities as well as in seminars and conferences that are geared for the veterinarian feild."


Global trends that are constantly increasing and that influence global animal shipment are basically: tourism, immigration and relocation in which private pet owners seek advanced solutions to pet shipment on a global level.  However, in the past few years the demand for flight veterinarian services has escalated within the business sector (as part of the online pet market) and within the military and security sectors (that utilizes tracking dogs as an integral part of their operations).

The flight veterinarian functions as a specialist within the field of veterinary medicine. Dr. Kreiner: "today there are vets that specialize in: equine, avian, small animal practice etc. By 2020 there will be a new specialty that will include hundreds of practicing flight veterinarians worldwide as an integral niche within the veterinary field".  

The flight veterinary division has become vital as a result of strict rules and regulations that are required by countries as well as by leading airlines and that is why animal imports and exports have become a complicated process, one that demands professional knowledge and experience.

A flight veterinarian is responsible for the animal from the moment the decision to ship it abroad has been made and until the animal lands safely in the new destination and acclimates to the new environment.

The flight veterinarian discipline includes:

*Pre-flight preparations including: feasibility check (thorough research designated to determine whether or not the animal stands strong chances of survival and whether it holds danger to endangered species abroad), vaccinations (according to countries' rules in both departure and destination points), preventive treatments necessary and/or recommended relevant to the flight and/or to the new  geographical conditions.

*On-flight service: the flight veterinarian verifies that the conditions to shipping an animal by air are optimal by studying the airlines' policies regarding animal shipping and the conditions in airports, boarding facilities along the way etc. Dr. Kreiner: "As a flight veterinarian it is my duty to demand information from airlines, ground handlers, forwarders etc. but at the same time, I receive phone calls and e-mails from different operators within the world of aviation, asking for professional advise on animals' safety and wellbeing".

*Official forms and documentation: in order to follow the regulations required by countries and airlines at the highest level, a flight veterinarian is responsible for the documents needed to ship animals including: import/export certificates, health certificates, international microchips, pet-passport (required in the EU) etc.

Dr. Kreiner adds that flight veterinary is an exciting position for those who "enjoy the ride" for flight veterinarians are frequently asked to accompany pets that have an unstable health condition, wildlife and zoo animals, for example a race horse will never be shipped without a practicing flight veterinarian.

Dr. Kreiner bachelor of veterinary medicine from Glosgow University in Scotland and has been practicing veterinarian since 1989 specializing in orthopedic surgery. In the last decade he has been lecturing in veterinary medicine and veterinarian related seminars where he passes on the procedures of flight veterinary in the 21 century.

   
Ayala Bar – Head of PR & Business Development  
London   44-203-051-4087      
ayala@animalairways.com
www.animalairways.com

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Global pet flight & pet relocation provider. Animal Airways offers comprehensive services to clients flying to and from every international airport.