Mapping the Hidden Network Behind International Pet Travel.

Existing Network

The PetPass project sits within a complex regulatory and operational ecosystem. Animal air travel is not managed by one body but by overlapping institutions that operate semi- independently.

Key existing actors include:

• DEFRA and APHA – responsible for UK pet travel rules and Export Health Certificates
• IATA – publisher of the Live Animals Regulations, which guide airline animal transport standards globally
• Individual airlines such as British Airways, Lufthansa and Delta – each applying additional internal compliance policies
• The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons – which governs veterinary professional conduct in the UK
• Pet relocation companies such as PetAir UK and Starwood Animal Transport – who act as intermediaries between owners, airlines and authorities

These networks already structure how animal mobility functions. However, they do not operate as a unified system. Compliance information is fragmented across websites, PDFs and individual consultations. My research positions PetPass as a potential coordination layer within this dispersed infrastructure rather than as a disruptive replacement.

New Connections I Intend to Build

Beyond institutional bodies, this research requires access to people who enact compliance in practice.

I intend to connect with:

• Practicing veterinarians who regularly process export documentation
• Airline ground staff who manage live animal check-in
• Independent international pet travellers
• Developers working on adjacent digital compliance systems such as visa apps or digital health passports

These actors are not formally networked together, yet they collectively maintain the system. Understanding their workflow pressures, liability concerns and documentation challenges will help ground the project.

Relocation companies may function as early driving forces, as efficiency directly benefits their business model. Airlines and regulators may represent restraining forces if digital tools introduce perceived legal risk.

Plan for Engagement

My approach will begin with short, structured interviews conducted via email or video call. I do not plan to present PetPass as a finished product. Instead, I will use low-fidelity workflow diagrams and prototype screens as discussion tools.

Methods will include:

• Stakeholder mapping to visualise influence relationships
• Semi-structured interviews to identify friction points
• Prototype walkthrough conversations to test assumptions

What I bring to this network is a systems-oriented design research approach. Rather than focusing only on user frustration, I aim to understand institutional constraints. This feels important, as regulatory systems are often slow-moving and risk-averse.

Mapping both driving and restraining forces will allow the project to remain realistic rather than speculative.

Rationale

Animal air travel is often framed as a customer inconvenience. In reality, it is a distributed governance system involving aviation regulation, veterinary certification and border control. Building a cross-sector network allows this research to move beyond anecdotal experience toward systemic analysis.

By engaging regulatory bodies, practitioners and intermediaries, I can test whether a digital coordination interface such as PetPass could reduce friction without increasing institutional risk.

The network also creates feedback loops. Instead of designing in isolation, the project can evolve in response to operational realities. This feels essential if the aim is to design infrastructure rather than simply an app.

Bibliography (Harvard style)

Burt, R.S. (2005) Brokerage and Closure: An Introduction to Social Capital. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

IATA (2024) Live Animals Regulations (LAR). Montreal: International Air Transport Association.

Meadows, D. (2008) Thinking in Systems: A Primer. White River Junction: Chelsea Green Publishing.

RCVS (2024) Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons. London: Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Stickdorn, M., Hormess, M., Lawrence, A. and Schneider, J. (2018) This is Service Design Doing. Sebastopol: O’Reilly Media.