Bluehorn

Hello all,

I've looked up information to find out what is needed for transferring pets - so no questions on that.

But I'd love to get an idea of what you've all spent on getting your pets over?

I'll be sending 5-6 dogs and am predicting £600-£800 per pet. This is mostly figuring in the cost of crates. My dogs are huskies (but larger American lines), a husky-x-malamute (very big, overall) and one lab-x who is quite tall and long.

Hearing what others have spent will help me see if my prediction is realistic.

Thank you, in advance xx

Mikeypm

Depends if you use a service or go the DIY route?

We brought over our cat and dog and went the DIY route. £70 approx ach for the vari kennels got them through a website called zooplus. $550 for both pets to go as excess baggage with airtransat. Consultation fee for the vet to get the letter/rabies certification that immigration need, can't remember that cost. Then I think about $ 30 for the inspection fee at the airport. Pretty straightforward and we would do it that way again but some prefer someone else organising so pet airways etc.

Young163

We just shipped our dog over from UK to Newfoundland using Airpets, we went for the gold service which included Charlie being picked up from house, taken to their kennels for all vet examinations. Supply of crate, flights to Toronto, overnight inToronto then onto St Johns. total cost £1470.

Aviator

It is way cheaper to get new ones.

Geordie Lass

Similar - dog taken to Manchester to Skymaster, kept in kennels for a few days (we wanted to get over and sorted a bit before she landed).

All checks done by them, taken back to airport and flown to Schipol and then over to Calgary.

Specially made crate as vari-kennels not big enough (big lab - not fat - just big)

Think it was about 1500 GBP.

We were just so done organising everything else we needed an easy route to getting her over. Didn't want her on our flight as we needed a couple of days without her to get sorted.

Howefamily

did the DIY route for our cat. Varikennel from ebay was GBP40, he came as excess baggage on Air Canada for GBP110.
Got all the docs signed at the vets, handed him over at the AC desk at LHR, picked him up in Halifax.

Geordie Lass

I forgot to say I think it depends on the weight of the dog whether they can be classed as excess baggage. If I remember rightly at 60lbs mine was too heavy. Then they have to be shipped by a pet company (I think). I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong

Bucks_Family

Air Transat weren't concerned with a maximum weight to fly our dogs excess baggage, their main concerns were a correct crate and the paperwork. Other airlines might have different rules, of course.

scootb

Cost us 180 pounds to bring our border collie with air transat in 2013.

withabix

Air Transat was approx. $290 in October last year per dog as excess baggage.

Limit of 2 dogs or 4 animals per flight IIRC.

You need to be able to handle them in the same locations as you would handle a suitcase on your journey, to give you an idea.

6 poo-covered desperate dogs in the Arrivals/Baggage Collection area at the end of 13 hours captivity in a crate wouldn't be my idea of fun however...

For your requirements, you will almost certainly need to use one of the pet transport agents and pay upwards of 1500 GBP per dog I would imagine.

Bulletin25

We paid around 700 in all to a pet shipping company to bring our two rabbits and tortoise (endangered species paperwork and clearance required for him) to Canada.

I realise money shouldn't be thrown away easily but my advice on any cost is - it's worth it! Home comforts haven't been too widely available in the early months and having our pets around has really kept my wife and I going.