Traveling with Your Pet: Checklist

Selendra Barefield
3 min readAug 12, 2022

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Selendra Barefield August 12, 2022

Animals play a very important role in our lives. They protect us, they love us, and they are loyal. Hospitals across the country see the benefits of having animals around, particularly dogs. The Mayo Clinic has a program called “Caring Canines”. Therapy dogs visit healthcare facilities to help patients cope with cancer treatments, dementia, post-traumatic stress, and much more. It is no wonder that Sterile Processing Professionals take their pets with them while on assignment. We have a checklist to prepare ourselves for travel, and so should our fur babies.

Adobe Stock: Otsphoto

Here are a few things you should consider packing or doing before your assignment.

Make sure they are healthy. Take your pet to the veterinarian for a Health Check. This is a perfect way to make sure that your baby has all of their shots. You may need to do the same for yourself.

Find a veterinarian in your new town. You can use Google, Facebook Groups, Facebook Marketplace, the hiring manager, or your recruiter.

Keep your pet safe while in transport. Travelers have options when transporting their pets. There are different crates, seatbelts, and dog car seats on the market. Pack a first aid- kit. According to the American Red Cross, your kit should have the basics; gauze pads, gauze rolls, bandages, cotton swabs, an instant cold pack, a roll of cloth, tweezers, thermometer, hydrogen peroxide, and antibiotic ointment.

Keep up with your pet. In the event you are separated from your pet you will need to be prepared. A sturdy pet collar with the pet’s name, your name, phone number, and rabies status can help get your pet back to you. Also, pet owners are increasingly taking advantage of the benefits of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. RFID is a permanent option.

Adobe Stock: Soloviova Liudmyla

Keep a copy of your pet’s medical records with you. A perfect place to have their records is in the cloud. Having important records in the cloud will give you the ability to access them anywhere you have an internet connection.

Keep them entertained/ Prepare your car. Pet music is a great way to relax your pet during long trips and their favorite toy will keep them entertained. YouTube is a great resource for pet music. You can protect your upholstery with pet seat covers. They come in a variety and sizes and colors. Your pet will enjoy the comfort of the covers.

The benefits of having a pet are beyond protection. They save lives, offer comfort, security, and love. If you take your pet with you on assignment, please email me your experiences, tips, and ideas. Selendra Barefield eyeonspd@gmail.com. Please include “Pet Travel” in the subject line. Safe Travels!

If you want more information:

Sterile Processing Travel: SPD Travel.

Sterile Processing Professional Resource: Eye On SPD

References:

American Kennel Club. (2021). The Complete Guide to Traveling With Your Dog. Retrieved https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/home-living/complete-guide-to-traveling-with-your-dog/

American Red Cross. (n.d.). Disaster Relief. Retrieved https://www.redcross.org/about-us/our-work/disaster-relief.html

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Selendra Barefield
Selendra Barefield

Written by Selendra Barefield

I have worked in SPD for 11 years. My roles have been, technician, traveler, lead tech, supervisor, educator and recruiter.

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