ArekDeBoss

Just to make everybody awareThere is a list of breeds and their crosses not allowed on Air Transat flights. Despite the fact that for example Ontario allows some those breed to be transported to, those dogs will NOT be allowed on the plane.
I have a Rottweiler cross old lady. Unfortunately her age , neutering etc don't matter. Dog will not be allowed on the air Transat flight and in order to get to Canada will have to fly from Heathrow with air Canada or British airways.
Assessment takes place in the UK and it's performed by air Transat.
Bummer :-(

Siouxie

That's a generic 'not allowed' due to some country restrictions. it may be worth contacting them directly and explaining/asking - you have nothing to lose by doing so

ArekDeBoss

The information provided is after speaking to them directly. They do not accept lab DNA breed test their assessment is based on declaration and visual inspection.

unobscure

We brought our mutt on Air Canada. Key things we learned...
1. AC required an agency to deal with the dog. We were not allowed to do it ourselves. A local kennels provided this service and dealt with all the paperwork, the pre-flight health checks and transportation to the airport.
2. Even airlines that do take dogs have various restrictions. AC will not take an animal if the temperature at either take off or destination is above 29.5C. That is probably not a problem in a lot of places but we were coming from the tropics and the temp reached 29C while we were at the airport ! Make sure you check all details.

CamG

Hi sushilover ,
We came to Canada in January 2020, just before COVID hit and we also brought our 2 Boxer dogs with us.
We used a company in the UK called TransFur, they were amazing!! They got us the flights booked and crates sorted (this was the biggest thing for us as we didn't have the crates ourselves and wasn't too sure about just buying one outright). They informed us of the process we would have to go through, like veterinary checks and when they were needed (10 days prior to leaving), and ensuring that the crates were delivered with enough time for the dogs to get used to. Even when one of mine decided to chew the crate, when we called them and sent them photo's, they let us know what to do.
Their prices were pretty good and we were able to travel from Manchester so saved us some money there. I cannot fault them at all!

Please be aware that it is a very long process for them, even if they're on the same flight as you (as ours were). They had to be "checked in" 3 hours before the flight and then loaded up into the cargo hold. Then you have to make sure that you go to collect them at the right area and because our dogs weren't small, we had to collect them at the customs office. Pay them and give them all the paperwork and then collect them. They were in the crates for 16 ish hours and were very desperate for a wee, but overall very happy to see us

Hope this helps in your quest to coming to Canada.

Phil_Jude

It was 4 years ago but we travelled with Air Transit from Gatwick via Toronto to Regina, Saskatchewan. We had no issues at all. Our dog was 14 when we traveled and she was great when we got to see her in Toronto. We used a product called zylkene that we got from our vet that calmed her ( not a sedative as not allowed). As we were landing as Permanent Residents we had to go through all the paperwork but the cbsa were amazing and processed our paperwork as quickly as possible. We had our beautiful pup for another 2 and a half years then sadly she passed at 16.5 years. She had a great life and she was the most travelled dog i knew.
She was lab/collie cross so not a small dog for travellling. We found out that there was a cat next to her so at least she company.

RS_OS

We flew our dog out in July 2020 London Heathrow to Toronto via British airways cargo. We used a company called pet air, communication and organization were amazing. Not the cheapest process as British airways decided to drastically increase the price of the loading pallet the week before he flew so we had no choice but to pay it but I’d have paid anything at that point just to get him out to us.

He was crated a lot longer than we though , crated 3 hrs before the flight, 7.5hr flight and then the unloaded/clearing customs took another 2-3 hrs but they do put a water container in and I’d highly recommend going with a wooden crate over a plastic crate as it’s quieter for them. We put a small tea towel size cut of his favourite blanket in his crate with him for comfort too.

Be prepared for the most stressful day of your life the day your furbaby flies, but honestly you’ll be 100% more stressed than they will find the whole experience. Our dog is very nervous, doesn’t like loud noises and hates being alone for long periods of time so I was dreading the whole thing. But he came bounding out his crate when we picked him up , totally unscathed!

just_jen_1986

Hi,
our 11yr old staffie male and 6yr old male cat both touched down in Vancouver BC 2weeks ago. We used Tim Finley Pet Services to sort everything out from vet checks to be signed off fit to fly, a custom built crate for our dog, and he had good knowledge of what airlines and routes we could use given that our dog is a banned breed in Ontario so that meant all flights which landed in Ontario were out of the question even as a transiting airport. I won't lie, the final invoice wasn't cheap BUT we got them both there safe and sound and that was the main thing.

Hope that helps some of you

7InBC

Another vote for Air Transat - albeit 4 years ago. Transported our then 5-year-old golden retriever as excess baggage. Considerably cheaper than any quote I received from a specialist firm, with the added benefit of not needing to have our dog there the day/days before the departure. The hardest part was finding a crate large enough and the responsibility of making the paperwork was in order - vaccinations and pet passport etc. TBH the info you need is readily available online, here, Air Transat or Canadian border services websites. I literally phoned the airline and booked him on the same flight as me, just be sure to do so well in advance to ensure there is space.

Bailey had excellent care from both Manchester and Vancouver Airports and was really popular with passengers before being crated at the check-in desk. We were the first passengers to be checked in as we had deliberately arrived super early, and I know the check-in staff appreciated being able to deal with us before the crowds descended. Yes, it meant he was crated for a while longer, but the reduction in stress was worth it.

We did have the benefit of not needing to go through the "landing" process at immigration since we were already living in Canada and Baily had been vacaying with my Mum for a few months to make rental options easier. Arrival at YVR was smooth and speedy, save for me forgetting to declare "livestock" on the customs declaration! If you have a simple case in terms of breed and destination/availability of flights, I see no reason to pay through the nose for a specialist firm, if you have been able to navigate the immigration process, the paperwork for this is a walk in the park.

jordanleanne

Following for any further tales of dog travel!