Team-BHP - Transporting Pepsi from Mumbai to Tamilnadu EDIT: Pepsi reaches home

Hello all,

I am in need of urgent help.

I might be relocating from Pune to Tamilnadu next month.I am in a dilemma on how to shift my Lab to Coimbatore.She is 3 and half years old and weighs around 30+ kgs.

Initialy I was planning to hire a Innova or Tavera.But seems that will be a very costly affair.Innova charges are 15Rs\km and for Tavera it is 9Rs\km.Pune to Coimbatore will be close to 1500kms and I will also have to pay half the return fare as well.That works out to 20K +

For that kind of money,I prefer to air shift her.I think only Jet airways accept pets in its cargo.They charge around 70Rs\kg.I will have to buy a cage and the charges will be for the weight of Dog+the cage.But the problem here is that they will tranquilise the dog and at time the tranquilisation combined with the trauma for the dog during the flight could be fatal.

I am worried a lot now.Pepsi is part of the family and hence parting ways with her in Pune itself is out of the question.

Has anybody air shifted a dog before?Please post some Do's and Dont's on this.

I believe we can do this by railways as well.I read that the dog will be chained in the guard's room and it is the responsibility of the owner to feed the dog during the journey.But if the guard is unfriendly this will turn to a nightmare.

Help pls.I have around 20 days in hand to take a decision.

What about driving down on your own? Either your own car or some friend's?

I will check out with a friend of mine who normally "smuggles" her small dog in a basket with her in the same train compartment surreptiously. I beleive she has also driven down with her dog.

You can also check out with any of the express goods carriers (parcel trucks, packers and movers) who may also take you along.

Hi jraj,

Dogs can be also taken in 1st Class by train. I got my two dogs all the way from Delhi to Siliguri that way a few years back. You have to make sure you book the cabin. I had two tickets (for me and my wife) and although the seats were in different cabins, we requested the TT to have it adjusted in one cabin - a thank you and a tip helped.

That way we got the dogs without much problem at all.

Iv taken my dog with me from Mumbai to Delhi and to be honest the safest and easiest way to do it is by a first class compartment in a train.

If you fly your dog down he or she will have to sit in the cargo compartment and there have been a lot of cases where the dog dies.

You have to pay for your dog as cargo and then you are allowed to carry him or her in your 1st class compartment.
If you are a party of 4 you mostly get a compartment to yourself. If you are a party of 2 put in a special request to get a 2 person compartment. If another passenger in your 4 person or 2 person cabin raises an objection your dog will have to be shifted to the luggage van therefore it is essential that you know all the people in your cabin.

@kumar:I am without a car now.Thats why I am having this issue now.

@johy Did you transport adult dogs or a puppy?My friend in Pune,who is a professional breeder,brings some of his dogs from Kerala.But they are all puppies and are broght in a train itself.

I am not sure of adult dogs though

Train - book an entire 4 seat 1st class cabin. Two for each of you, and Pepsi can have a berth all for himself. Something like the Mountain-dew ad ..

Question - if you are doing Mumbai-Coimbatore, what about the breaks Pepsi will need ? Will it be a continuous journey ?

If you have to drive down, hire an Indica - will work out cheaper at 4.50per km, non-A/c or 5 - 5.50 per km A/c. Check around - some independent taxi guys may charge a lesser fee for return - about 50 ps less per km.

Hi jraj,

Driving her to mumbai would have been the best option, but since it is no longer one, the second best is the train. As suggested by many, you can book either I class or even or AC II Tier tickets.

Or you can book her ticket and keep Pepsi in the lugauge compartment in some cage. Do visit her every now to let her know that you all are with her in the travel. Take along as many of her toys/chew bones and even a piece of your clothing (either a shirt or a hanky or even a sock, which she is familiar with). That will lessen her anxiety to some extent.

Labs are absolutely adorable and am glad to know that you are taking extra pains and efforts to ensure she stays with you. :thumbs up

All the best and let us know the details of journey.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vivekiny2k (Post 715163)

1st AC is always a 2 berth cabin. should cost you as much as a plane ticket per head.

not sure what railways rules say though.

Not necessarily; the two berth ones are called "coupes" & you usually would find a couple of coupes & the rest would be four berthers in a standard broad gauge 1st AC coach

Quote:

Originally Posted by akshay1234 (Post 715383)

get a 2 berth or a 4 berth 1st ac cabin. its the best way to transport your dog. you can take the dog for walks at the stations where the train stops for long.

I doubt if they allow dogs or pets in the a/c cabins.

They do however allow you to take your pets onboard the regular 1st Class (non-a/c) cabin. We've used this option quite a few times to take dogs and pups.

DO NOT transport your pet by the brake van or the guard's cabin. The 'pet cage' they have is a dark, smelly, uncleaned metal box with no lights & very little ventilation through some tiny louvres in the metal. I had to use this option once when I didnt have the money to pay for 1st Class, but I swore that would be the last time - Dagger was shivering with fright when I picked him up and I wont ever forget the look in his eyes.

Jraj

Whatever you do, DO NOT transport Pepsi by flight. There have been many fatalities in these flights. Personally I get very disturbed reading all thatthat since I have a Labrador myself.

Take her by train. Pay whatever you have to to keep her with you in the berth under your personal attention. I wouldnt put her in the luggage compartment either.

Book a ticket for her and take her along in the AC compartment with you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaAT (Post 715466)

Hi jraj,

Driving her to mumbai would have been the best option, but since it is no longer one, the second best is the train. As suggested by many, you can book either I class or even or AC II Tier tickets.

Mods, please correct it to : Driving her to Tamil Nadu

Apologies for the error!

Quote:

Originally Posted by jraj (Post 715089)

@johy Did you transport adult dogs or a puppy?My friend in Pune,who is a professional breeder,brings some of his dogs from Kerala.But they are all puppies and are broght in a train itself.

I am not sure of adult dogs though

They were fully grown when I brought them. We had a "coupe." I shared my berth with one of the dogs. The other was on the floor.

Quote:

Originally Posted by condor (Post 715369)

Train - book an entire 4 seat 1st class cabin. Two for each of you, and Pepsi can have a berth all for himself. Something like the Mountain-dew ad ..

Condor's suggestion is good; I would do it, especially since your lab is a large animal.

Also, I would suggest you have a guy to help you, someone who can handle the dog in case you are gone to the rest room.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steeroid (Post 715498)

Yes, they don't let you take the dog in the First AC - and the Guard's room is a no-no.

A/c should not be required at this time. It's quite chilly everywhere, and Feb end should be pleasant.

Quote:

Steeroid

: The 'pet cage' they have is a dark, smelly, uncleaned metal box with no lights & very little ventilation through some tiny louvres in the metal. .... Dagger was shivering with fright when I picked him up and I wont ever forget the look in his eyes.

One can imagine what any living being will undergo in such conditions, just by reading this.