Travelling With Pets
Taking Your Pets To Florida
We sure know the feeling of missing a pet while on vacation, but with just a little planning you can easily include your furry friend on your next Florida vacation!
Many Central Florida area hotels welcome pets to stay with their owners, and if your travelling by road, the freeway and turnpike rest stops provide dog friendly areas, and for those travelling by plane, Orlando International Airport offers a private Bark/Park/Ride boarding and shuttle service.
Where To Stay
Many Central Florida hotels and motels accept pets, they will usually charge a nightly fee per pet.
If your staying at a Disney World resort you have a few options, dog owners can stay at select resort hotels where dogs are welcome to stay or you can board your cat or dog in the luxurious facilities at Disney's Best Friends Pet Care. Dogs can attend camp, play in the water park or just relax and watching a flat-screened TV in air-conditioned comfort. There are several large areas for owners to sit, relax and watch their dogs play.
Boarding facilities are available for dogs and cats, plus pocket pets can be boarded too, including hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits and ferrets. The pet resort is located across from Disney's Port Orleans Resort, at 2510 Bonnet Creek Parkway in Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830.
More details are available at wdw.bestfriendspetcare.com or by calling 877-4-WDW-PETS.
Service Animals Versus Companion Animals
All Orlando hotels, theme parks and attractions comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act when it comes to service animals. While dogs are the most common service animals seen in the Orlando theme parks, other true service animals are welcome, including miniature horses!
Your service animal can stay with you in your hotel, accompany you to most rides and destinations, (roller coasters are an exception of course) and go wherever you do.
While service animals are welcome everywhere, companion animals are not.
Both Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort consider pets and emotional support dogs to be companion animals, so they are welcome in some, but not all locations, this is for the safety of your pet and the enjoyment of everyone who visits the parks.
Walking The Dog
Florida’s state parks will be happy to see your dog, if you keep it on a 6’ lead.
Many cities have public dog parks, remember that you may walk a dog on a leash anywhere outdoors on public property that it is not specifically prohibited.
Above all, wherever you go, make sure that your pet wears a visible I.D. tag and its current license tag. t’s also a good idea to have proof of immunizations.
Florida Wildlife
Make sure your dog does not chase shorebirds, disturb a nesting colony or dig near a turtle’s nest on the beach.
Secondly, Florida’s wildlife can be really wild. Alligators can and do eat dogs plus Snake venom can and does kill pets, be very carefull!
Take sensible precautions, keep your eyes open, particularly at the edge of a lake or river. Look for signposts that warn alligators are present. Don’t throw sticks or balls into the water. Keep your ears open too, especially for the rattle of a rattlesnake. Pygmy rattlesnakes, which also bite dogs, emit a different sort of rattle, a faint buzzing insect noice.
Veterinary Care in Orlando
There are several emergency vets that accept walk ins as needed in the Orlando area.
Opinions and reviews are available on Yelp. Use these to get the latest details and contact information for the area’s top emergency vets.
Requirements For Bringing Dogs Or Cats On Vacation To Florida From Abroad
To bring a dog or cat into the U.S. you should have a health certificate from a veterinarian.
There is no special form for this certificate. Such a certificate is usually required by the airlines, so you must check with the airlines shipping your pet for any time limitations or other details such a size limitations, type of animal cage, etc.
Your dog or cat will need a rabies certificate indicating receipt of an anti rabies vaccination more than 1 month before your visit but less than 1 year.
The customs agents will verify that the animal has a clear identification indicating that the animal is the one mentioned on the certificates.
We advise that you check before you go, as laws sometimes change.
