lins and Stef McLachlan

Hi

Just though I would share my recent experiences with sending my Labrador to Canada from the UK.

Like a lot of you I had quotes for a service provided by various pet forwarding companies. Those quotes were very high...mine were for anything between 1600 - 2200 pounds (sterling).

I contacted Air Canada Cargo and made enquiries with them in London. Tel: 0208 750 8260. You have to buy the correct kennel for your pet and it does have to be IATA approved. I got one from www.johnhumphris.com I gave them my dog's measurements and they suggested the correct size.

The animal, in my case a Dog, (a Labrador)had to have up to date annual vaccinations, have had a Rabies Jab(at least 30 days before travel) (they do not need a blood test if you are not going the expensive Pet passport route), they have to be micro-chipped and then you need to get a 'Fitness to Fly certificate from your vet up to 5 days before travel.

You can book the flight with Air Canada Cargo yourself to fly out of Heathrow. Other airports may differ. I know that when I made enquiries with Thomas Cook out of Manchester, they insist that you use a pet forwarding company and you cannot DIY there.

I found the process very straight-forward, you need to give them the dimensions of your IATA sky kennel and the weight of the dog and kennel combined. For example, mine was 11.5kg for the Kennel and 34KG for the dog...so a combined weight of 45.5Kg. The price is worked out on this dimension and weight. You book the flight, they give you the waybill number, but do not take the money off you until you check the animal in for the flight as the combined weight will be assessed to include and extra weight for bedding. My total weight was then 46Kg with bedding.

We booked on an 8.30am flight from Heathrow to Toronto and the dog had to be there 4 hours before the flight. She had to have been fed and watered at least 6 hours before the flight.

We booked her on a filght to Toronto and then an internal flight to Windsor Ontario. The total cost in London was.... 866.56 pounds..... ( I apologise for no pound sign...but cannot find it since being in Canada...keyboard not the same)

My husband took her to the airport and I collected her from Windsor. I did have the foresight to photocopy all her documents and bring them with me to Canada...as he is still in UK, he also e-mailed me a copy of her 'Fit to fly' Certificate. At Windsor I had to pay a $53 handling and Customs charge and then took her home.

I was able to go online and check departures from Heathrow, arrivals at Toronto, Departures from Toronto and that website also allowed me to check the progress of the flight onscreen on a map.....I was also able to go on the Air Canada cargo site and put in her Airwaybill number and check on the various stages of her journey as logged through them.

If the combined weight of the dog and kennel is less than 32Kg you may not need Cargo and can possibly get away with excess baggage which is a lot cheaper.

It was easy to do......and saved us a lot of money. I thought I would share this as it may be helpful to others considering doing it themselves. Bonnie arrived in good spirits and totally stress free.....but very pleased to see us. It was an emotional reunion...for me...but then I am a softie really
lol
Stef

kmcguinness

what a wonderful posting Stef, i remember that day when we shipped over our 2 labs from manchester to vancouver, it was marley and me the film on the flight i was a wreck. Im so pleased you and Bonnie had a wonderful reunion. From the step-bu-step process you describe it seems painless except to the pocket of course but i know manchester wouldnt allow us to DIY.

congrats again

kae

lins and Stef McLachlan

Hi
Thanks for your good wishes
lol
Stef

DandNHill

Thanks for that Stef

It's great to know that it's possible to do it for under £1,000. My golden retriever is old and we're still unsure whether we should take her or not but your post hads given me hope that it is the right thing to do...

Thanks again

Nicky

S and P

Hi

you guys have put a lot of useful info on here which is really useful. I keep an eye out for your posts daily to see what you're doing next!
How is it going?

kiera

hi,
We are hoping to fly out in March with our irish wolfhound and were so worried about her welfare, this sounds absolutely perfect. We could take her to the airport with us and collect her the other side? I will certainly check this out. What did yoou think of crate supplied? do they deliver it to the airport or your home?

thanks

kiera

lins and Stef McLachlan

Hi
That is so nice of you, I will PM you...save boring the forum to death
lol
Stef

lins and Stef McLachlan

Hi
The crate was good quality and robust. I went for the Extra Large size around 140 pounds if my memory serves me right. That was the size the lady on the phone recommended when I gave her the dog's measurements. You will probably need to go for a bigger one as they have to be able to stand and turn around in it and also to lay comfortably...and no doubt although you won't necessarily have the bulk...you will have the height.

If you look at the flight schedules for Heathrow...Air Canada and Canadian Affair have flights leaving at roughly the same times and you do not have to accompany your dog. So if we were all going to fly....we were going to put the dog on Air Canada Cargo and fly ourselves Canadian Affair (Thomas Cook...unfortunatelythey have seasonal restrictions for carrying pets...but that would depend on when you opt to fly) That way we could keep the costs reasonable, as to fly all of us Air Canada was expensive.

You have to get the dog to the Air Canada Cargo office four hours before the flight, so that sort of timing would make it easier and not so rushed for you flying out the same day. We found it easy.
Good luck
Stef

lins and Stef McLachlan

Sorry
just need to add it is delivered to your home and you can get it as soon as you like. We found that it helped using the bottom half as a pet bed for a week or so beforehand...that way she got used to the space and was comfortable in it.
Hope this helps
Stef

kiera

lins and Stef McLachlan

Good luck
lol
stef

Tangram

Wow, its become expensive. 3 years ago a company shipped our Springer Spaniel from Manchester to Halifax via TO for £900 all in.

lins and Stef McLachlan

Hi
I suppose they could see how they could make a killing. My lab is quite heavy....not fat, but heavier than a Springer I would guess and a bit bigger, still doesn't justify more than doubling the actual cost of DIY.
lol
Stef

The4BellsLondon

I would double agree regarding the photocopying of documents - I have heard of peoples dogs not being release for 24 hrs etc because the paper work that should be attached to the kennel has gone missing during transit!

DAVIE_MAC

Apart from the blood tests the above is all that is required for Pet Passport which includes a fit to travel section.

Just a note on the Rabies.

The Rabies was done prior to departure but if you have not had a positive blood result there is no way of knowing if the vaccine has taken correctly in the dog. Chances are it has but just because the dog is vaccinated doesn't mean it has the vaccine in the blood it might be an idea to have them done for 2 reasons:

1. I would want to ensure the vaccine had taken 100% and not find out later it had not if the dog contracted rabies which would not be nice
2. if for any reason at all you decide you have to return to the UK and want to take the dog it can not enter the UK until 6 months after a positive blood result. Unless you want to go down the 6 months quarantine route.

You just never know what the future holds and as happened to a friend of ours the dog did not have the positive bloods and caused major problems for them and expense.

If an animal misses the booster date for Rabies - even by 1 day - then the whole process must be carried out with positive blood work being done again.

Just as a side note if anyone is returning to UK.

Animals returning to the UK can not fly as excess baggage as they can on exiting the UK they must travel cargo.

HTH