The owner of Blue Collar Pet Transport, Richard Hardy, started his company because he heard all too often the horror stories of pet owners who couldn’t find safe shipping for their cats and dogs. “No animal lover wants their pet to be stored in the cargo hold of a plane,” he says. “How traumatizing for the animal! There were also too many cases of pets being shoved in the back of a van and taken in cramped quarters to their destinations, if they even arrived. My team and I knew that there had to be a better way for pets to be relocated, and Blue Collar Pet Transport is that answer.”
Ethical animal shipping concerns the company’s employees, who have pledged to uphold the standards set by IPATA (International Pet and Animal Transportation Association). “The first one is the most important,” says Richard. “We never relax our standard of care no matter how tired we may be. Every dog, puppy, cat, or kitten deserves to be treated well, to be kept safe, and to be more important than any job or task we may have to do. Our little passengers really are precious to us.”
IPATA sets minimum standards for shipping, which Blue Collar Pet Transport meets and even exceeds. “We are very knowledgeable and professional in everything we do,” Richard confirms. “Whether we are preparing the documentation for a cat or dog, we follow every guideline to the letter.”
He adds that unethical pet shippers are unfortunately increasing worldwide. “It’s just a reality these days that because anyone can create a website or a social media page, it’s easy for a scammer to set themselves up and advertise a $1,000 puppy that doesn’t actually exist. Or, perhaps it is a real animal, but its documents are falsified. There are many ways for scammers to target someone who wants a new furry friend, and Blue Collar Pet Transport refuses to be part of it.”
Richard continues by saying that at Blue Collar Pet Transport, what you see is what you get. “We firmly believe that transparency is the best way to serve our customers. We are up front about what we do from the very beginning. Any question you have, we will answer it. The pet shipping options we list on our website are accurately described, and we help you know what to expect on the day of your pet’s trip. You will never have a moment where what you experience is different from what you expected.”
In the last few years, he has heard of competitors cutting corners. “It’s easy to do,” he says. “Think about it: if a pet is not treated as well as they should be during a journey, how will they let their owners know? Dogs and cats can’t convey in words what they have experienced, so those who are out to make a buck capitalize on that. We don’t do that here. Our four-footed passengers come first in everything, and we keep ethics at the forefront of what we do.”
The results speak for themselves. As America’s top pet relocator, Blue Collar Pet Transport is proving that by following the rules and demonstrating courtesy and compassion, pets can be shipped safely and reliably, and their families are grateful.