Bringing Your Pet on Your Travel Assignment (For Travel Healthcare Professionals)

I travel nurse with my two Shetland Sheepdogs, Ramsey and Riley. I love having them with me, but they definitely bring about some obstacles during my travel assignments. Whether you already have a pet and are wondering if you can travel with them, are thinking of getting a pet as a traveler, or are looking for tips to make traveling with your pet easier, this article is for you!

Below we will explore finding pet friendly housing at your assignment, getting to your assignment with your pet, finding veterinary care during your assignment, and what to do with your pet during your shift. At the end, we will also look into whether or not having a pet while traveling is worth it for your situation. 

Housing

While I love having my two dogs with me, it definitely makes finding housing more difficult and more expensive.

The type and number of pets you have will make a difference. For example, another travel nurse that I met traveled with her cat. She said that many housing options that allowed dogs wouldn’t allow cats. Sometimes this was due to allergies and sometimes due to fear of scratching and tearing up furniture (getting her cat declawed helped with this second obstacle). Like apartments, many short term rentals have dog breed and size restrictions or restrictions on the number of pets allowed. 

Here are a couple of other scenarios to consider:

Scenario 1: Pet friendly housing is available, but the number of options is reduced. These options will likely be a little more expensive and will almost always involve some kind of pet fee. It makes sense from a landlords perspective- Allowing pets is more risk and requires more cleaning between tenants. 

This will likely be the case for most typical travel assignments. It’s doable, but something to consider when it comes to your budget. 

Scenario 2: Certain locations may not have pet friendly housing at all. For example, I was interviewed for a contract on Catalina Island where the housing is provided by the hospital. Unfortunately, they did not have any pet friendly housing available. This is not always true for contracts that provide housing instead of a stipend (a common scenarios in areas with a very limited housing market like some areas of Colorado), but it is more common for pets to not be allowed. Don’t be too worried, scenario 1 is much more common than scenario 2. 

Traveling

Driving vs. flying

Most travel nurses (and other travel healthcare professionals) that I know with pets drive to their assignments (myself included). I recommend driving as opposed to flying, but if you must fly, here are some things to consider:

Some airlines will allow a small dog or cat if the pet can fit under the seat in front of you. My dogs are 25lbs each, and they would not be able to fit because they would not have room to stand and turn around in a crate under an airline seat. For bigger pets, airlines that allow cargo transfer of pets may be your only option. Keep in mind that flying can be very stressful for pets, so talk to your vet ahead of time. Your pet may appreciate a sedative before taking off. 

One more option is to pay for ground transportation for your pet while you fly to your assignment. It will likely be an expensive option, but it will depend on the distance, the company, and your pet. Some companies that provide this service include Happy Tails Travel and Pet Van Lines – know that this is not an endorsement as I have not used either of these options myself. If you have, then comment below with your experience to help a fellow traveller!

Road trips with pets

When I first started traveling, I had this grand idea of making every trip to my assignment into a fun road trip. Reality hasn’t quite worked that way. Many national parks and hiking trails don’t allow dogs on the trail, and hotels that allow pets tend to be fairly expensive. I think this option is still doable (especially for RV travelers!), but for me it makes more sense economically to get to my assignment in as few days as possible. 

Here is what a realistic road trip looks like for me with a husband and two dogs: We can usually get in about 10-13 hours of driving per day. My dogs are old and have the whole backseat to themselves (with plenty of room to stand up and move around), so they don’t seem to mind the long drives. Each time we stop for gas, we take the dogs out for a bathroom break and offer water and a little bit of food. After having the chance to sniff some new surroundings, they don’t mind getting back in the car. As far as human food, my husband and I usually just find a sandwich at a gas station or go through a drive through and eat on the road. We typically find a pet friendly hotel for the night if needed. It might not be the most fun way to travel, but it makes sense financially with the dogs, and it’s honestly not bad if I download some good podcasts to pass the time. 

Here is what you should consider before embarking on a roadtrip with your pet: 

If your pet get nauseous or anxious in the car, talk to your vet about medication options to make the trip more pleasant for both of you. 

Consider how often you need to stop for bathroom and water/food breaks for your pet. A puppy, for example will need to go much more frequently, and an anxious dog that does a lot of panting will likely need more water breaks. 

Before multi-day trips, take time to research pet-friendly sleeping options along your route. Be prepared to pay extra in pet fees. 

Veterinary care

While local independent vets are great, I prefer veterinary chains for traveling. I use Banfield for my two pups. I’ve been able to find one near all of my assignments so far, and pet records transfer between clinics. They also have a website where you can access things like proof of rabies vaccination which you might need for housing or dog parks while on assignment. 

Chewy.com is a great option for receiving pet medications while on assignment as well. I also like to make sure I have enough of the medications I know my dogs will need prior to heading out. For example, I bring 3 months worth of their flea and tick medication with me. If you have any pet supplies on autoship, make sure you pause this or transfer the mailing address prior to leaving. 

Speaking of mail, if you have questions about how to manage mail while traveling, check out this post titled “How to Prepare before Leaving for your Travel Assignment“. In addition to mail, I also cover things like preparing your home and your vehicle for extended travel. Anyway, let’s get back to the pets!

What to do while you are working

If you work 12 hour plus shifts like most travel nurses, you also need to consider your dogs health and happiness while you are at work (most cats I know are just fine assuming food, water and a litter box is available).

I’m fortunate enough to have a husband who works remote and travels with me, so he is home with the pups pretty much all day. This is a great option for any travel couples, partners or friends that travel together. 

I also have met several travel nurse friends with dogs along the way. Here are some ways they keep their pups happy:

Wag and Rover, both offer dog walking services. This isn’t the cheapest option, but depending on the energy and socialization needs of your pup, it may be worth it. I know a lot of travel nurses that will use this option for at least one break during their work days. 

I did have one house during an assignment that had a yard and a doggy door. I love the freedom this option gives my pups, but most of the time housing like this is not affordable and often not available.

Many single travel nurses use shared housing. This will be highly dependent on roommates/landlords, but some travelers have been lucky enough to have a roommate that doesn’t mind taking the dog out if they are home. This could also be coupled with a service like wag or rover to fill in the gaps if your roommate isn’t available. I have also seen some housing listings that where the landlord states that they are happy to help with watching the pet if needed, though this type of listing is pretty rare. 

Is traveling with a pet worth it?

*click here if you are interested in a dog friendly itinerary at Big Bear Lake as pictured above 🙂

Now that you have seen the costs and considerations of traveling with a pet, let’s explore whether or not it’s “worth it” with a pros and cons list. The true answer, of course, will be different for every person and situation. 

Pros:

• Travel healthcare can be lonely, having a pet provides companionship
• A rough shift can often be remedied with puppy (or kitty) cuddles and a glass of wine.
• Exploring nature such as hiking trails in new areas is more fun with dog. 
• Pet related meet ups are a fun and easy way to make human friends too.

Cons:

• Pets are expensive to travel with.
• You will be limited on what you can do during road trips and while on assignment.
• Depending on the breed, personality and age of your pet, nomadic life might not be a good fit for their happiness (although some pets may love it, especially if you find lots of outdoor activities to do together!).

My answer: I had my pups long before I started travel nursing, and they are truly my family. Whether or not to bring them has never been a question. The question was only how to make it work (luckily, it works pretty well!). However, if I were looking into whether or not to get a new pet now, my answer would be no due to the costs and limitations.

Trying to figure out if travel nursing is a good idea for you and your pet? Look at this post on the cons of travel nursing and this one on the benefits of travel nursing to help you decide.