Meet our People & Culture Manager – Andrew!
Responsible for our range of employee benefits, ongoing engagement activities, and Community outreach, Andrew is a true champion of our AMS Core Values.
He is setting off on a cross-country adventure and as Travel Nurse Recruiters, it would be remiss of us not to join him over the coming months and put together some useful Questions and Answers!
Andrew’s traveling partner is our Chief Morale Officer, Millie!
So naturally, our first stop in our travel series is – traveling to an assignment with pets!
Q: Hey Andrew, thanks for taking us on a journey with you! You have been planning this multi-destination trip for a while now, and we wondered if you did any pre-travel veterinary visits for Millie before you set off?
A: Yes! I had her yearly check-up at the beginning of the year and notified them of my travel plans to get some recommendations. Millie has separation anxiety and hasn’t had to be by herself too much since the pandemic started. So, they recommended some calming chews and suggested easing back into her being on her own. Leaving for 10 minutes one day, then 30 minutes the next, etc. I also bought a dog monitoring camera to help with this.
Since my first stop is Colorado, they also mentioned that dogs must adapt to different altitudes as well. Millie has a short snout, so they told me to take it easy the first week or so to make sure she is acclimated before doing anything that involves a lot of activity.
Q: When you were looking into your accommodations, were there any considerations you had to make when booking?
A: Because I will be staying in each location for up to a month, I chose to use Airbnb. When you search for the dates, amount of people staying, etc. you can also select how many “pets” you have (It does not limit the search to dogs, so I believe cats are allowable in some places.) This way I was only looking at places that allowed pets. Once I narrowed it down to a few places, I contacted the owner and made sure they were okay with my 70-pound bulldog (& had reliable Wi-Fi) Thankfully, there was no breed or size issues with any of the hosts, and only had to pay an enhanced cleaning fee in some cases.
Another great resource for long-stay rentals is Furnishedfinder.com!
Q: We know that Millie is quite the pampered pooch, how are you going to pack for such a diva?
A: Since we are road tripping, we will only be bringing the essentials – a small container of food, travel bowls, her regular food and water bowls, and a few toys. When I arrive, I can get a bigger bag of food and anything else she may need.
Millie’s Top Dog Travel Picks:
Q: Do you have any special plans while you’re on the road?
A: We are going to be driving for multiple days before we arrive in Denver, so to make sure Millie is calm and comfortable, she will have the whole back seat to herself with some blankets and pillows.
(Added bonus tip – Marketing Coordinator Sophie’s elderly and usually very well-behaved dog ran away at a rest stop on a road trip, so it’s always a good idea to make sure your dog tags contact info is up to date, as well as their microchip details! Don’t worry, she came back)
Q: When traveling to a different state, there can be different rules and regulations so have you found anything to help navigate being in a new city with a dog?
A: I have booked some dog-friendly hotels along the way, but I also use an app called BringFido that also shows dog-friendly restaurants and activities.