Case study: ‘I was delighted she was able to cut hours off her travel time’

SKY, a black Labrador, was enjoying the facilities at Edinburgh Airport’s new pet reception centre yesterday after a 17-hour flight from Seattle via Newark, New Jersey, in the US.

Sky was returning home to Crieff, Perthshire, after spending a few years in the US.

Alicia Anderson, 43, her owner, said the facility was ideal.

“She’s 11 years old and I wanted to shorten the journey for her,” she said. “I was delighted she was able to fly straight to Scotland and cut hours off her travelling time.”

Mrs Anderson, a travel adviser with inpursuitoftravel.com, said that she and her husband, Keith, had lived in Crieff for a number of years but had to then spend more than three years in the US due to family illness.

Mrs Anderson arrived home in Crieff more than two weeks ago and her husband had put Sky on the plane alone for the journey back to Scotland.

“She went the other way through London last time but the incoming trip makes a difference to dogs on a long flight,” Mrs Anderson said.

Sky was taken off the aircraft, put in a special quarantine cage and taken straight to the centre. She was released from her kennel, fed and watered and able to enjoy playing in the exercise area after her paperwork and pet passport were checked.