Here, at Air Animal Pet Movers, the Weimaraner is in the best hands. Walter Woolf and his team are professionals. For more than 38 years now, they have provided a way to ensure that animals travel safely and in comfort from A to B. They have relocated more than 45,000 dogs, cats, birds, fish and other animals. Bruce travels first class today, thanks to Lufthansa Cargo’s new premium service of its special product Live/td.

Air Animal Pet Movers are among the first customers to be testing the comprehensive care-free package. Bruce is one of the first passengers. “Animals are family members,” says Marco Klapper, Product Manager of Live/td. “It’s important to reassure pet owners that their four-legged friends will be comfortable and well taken care of during the trip.”

This is where Live/td Premium comes in, which can be booked for flights and transit stopovers in Frankfurt. “Before embarking on a trip, pet owners are provided with useful transport information; any further queries can be sent to an exclusive e-mail address made available to them,” says Marco Klapper. The Lufthansa Cargo Animal Lounge in Frankfurt provides ample space for premium passengers. “Specific requirements, such as special food and medication, are also met,” says Klapper. Despite his first-class status, Bruce must forego his favorite food – pepperoni pizza – health comes first. Nevertheless, the Weimaraner enjoys his stay in the Animal Lounge. Relaxing in his box, he enjoys having his fur ruffled by the animal attendants, who took a photo of him on his arrival and e-mailed it to Ted, his owner. This may be perceived as trivial, but it certainly does constitute an important element of the new premium service. “When we go on a trip, we also send a short greeting to our loved ones at home, saying ‘I’ve arrived and am doing fine’,” explains Marco Klapper. The idea works; Ted is delighted with the sign of life. A short while later, Bruce continues his journey to Brussels and can finally celebrate his reunion with his family in the Belgian countryside. “Many pet owners are prejudiced against air freight transportation. All they can imagine are noisy, icy cold cargo holds,” explains the veterinarian. “This is why we continuously provide information, enabling us to introduce Live/td Premium as a fantastic product.”

While customers previously simply had to trust that everything would proceed as planned, they can now ask for feedback and receive a photo greeting as confirmation upon their pets’ arrival in Frankfurt. “Premium service reflects our philosophy,” says Woolf. “Simply dumping animals in a box and shipping them off – that’s not who we are and what we do. We invest our whole heart and soul in our work.” Woolf opened his business by pure chance. After completing his studies in Philadelphia, he opened a veterinary practice near Tampa International Airport in 1961. Many airline carriers that moved pets at that time sought his advice when documents were issued incorrectly or the owners arrived much later than their four-legged friends. “I was told at the time that my services would only be needed once or twice a year. This soon became once or twice a week and ultimately developed into a 24/7 service.” The idea to handle the transport himself with a kind of travel agency for animals germinated in his mind. “Forwarding agencies with experience in animal transport strongly advised me against it as it would only cause a great deal of trouble.” But Woolf was undeterred and created a success story. “Our success is also largely based on the service of the airline carriers that cooperate with us,” says Woolf. In particular, the cooperative venture with Lufthansa Cargo is superb. “Lufthansa Cargo has many committed employees who share our philosophy,” he says full of praise. “What I always feel is the great passion, namely the passion for pets!”