A volunteer-run animal rescue group in Western Australia has convinced Qantas to change rules around animal freight to save homeless pets from euthanasia.
Key points:
- Qantas has made pet freight rules more flexible after concerns were raised by an animal rescue group
- The airline had been enforcing bans on the transport of pets on days over 35 degrees Celsius
- Qantas made the changes to save the group’s homeless pets from euthanasia
The airline recently started enforcing bans on the transport of pets on days when the temperature was forecast to rise above 35 degrees Celsius.
But Qantas has announced it will trial more flexible rules after concern from an animal rescue group that relies on the airline to transport pets for rehoming.
Saving Animals from Euthanasia (SAFE) founder Sue Hedley is based in the northern WA city of Karratha, where the temperature regularly exceeds 35C.
“We were so desperately worried about what was going to happen to our animals that we couldn’t fly for probably six months of the year due to the policy,” Ms Hedley said.
SAFE estimates that around 90 per cent of animals rescued in northern WA are flown to Perth for rehoming.
“[Qantas] heard our cry for help and have worked with their technology to make it so that it can be individualised and not a blanket rule,” she said.
Qantas has changed its pet freight booking system and animals will now be able to fly at cooler times of the day when extreme weather is forecast, such as the morning and evening.
Early advocacy gets results
Western Australia is sometimes nicknamed the “wait awhile” state, but Ms Hedley said SAFE’s success is an example of advocacy from WA benefiting pet owners across the country.
“To think — a small, not-for-profit could get a large company like Qantas to make such a big positive change in the policy and process,” she said.
“I think it would have been a big hoo-ha when people realised they couldn’t take their family pet from a warm zone to a cool zone because of the temperature rules.
“We got in early and changed things. We’re not ‘wait awhile’, we’re the forerunners.”
In a statement. Qantas said its Extreme Weather Policy remained in place, but how it applied the policy recently had limited access to pet freight services in locations particularly prone to hot temperatures.
“We’ve consulted the RSPCA on our new freight process to ensure changes are both practical and appropriate for travel during extreme heat,” freight executive Penny Ford said.
“The safety and welfare of the animals we transport is paramount and we’re pleased to find a way of increasing opportunities for customers to use our service.”
Pet owners praise ‘sensible’ changes
The changes have come just in time for Karratha resident Colleen Cenin who was considering driving her three cats more than 1,500 kilometres south to Perth.
“That’s a very, very long journey for three cats in carriers all the way,” she said.
“Anything could happen.”
Ms Cenin said changes to the Qantas booking system have come as a huge relief, and she has already booked flights for her “babies”.
“It’s about six minutes to the airport. They’ll be on the flight at 8am … nice and cool, and then its just two hours to Perth,” she said.
“The stress level for pets, pet owners, everyone, has just decreased.”
Pilbara veterinarian Dr Katy Davis has praised Qantas for its “sensible” response.
“A blanket rule is obviously not going to work, especially in regions like the Pilbara and the Kimberley … because that effectively just stops travel of animals completely,” she said.
“I think this is the absolute best outcome that we could have hoped for.”