Pet Airways, a "pet-only airline dedicated to pet-only travel," began service yesterday, taking off from Republic Airport in Farmingdale, N.Y.

Husband-and-wife team Alysa Binder and Dan Wiesel started Pet Airways in 2005, shortly after a trip with their Jack Russell terrier in cargo hold - a part of the plane that is dark and where the temperature can vary wildly.

 See this story on the Today Show: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/31828145#31828145

All commercial airlines allow a limited number of small pets to fly in the cabin, but most pets spend their flight with the checked baggage in the cargo hold. On Pet Airways, pets fly in the seatless cabin, complete with pre-boarding walks and bathroom breaks.

Pet Airways will fly a pet between five major cities —  New York, Washington, Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles. One-way fares start at $149 - which is comparable to pet fees at the largest U.S. airlines.

To read more about this story, please click on the link below:

http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/Story?id=8040145&page=1