We are travelling at the end of May to Nova Scotia with our 2 small dogs. We figured to fly from Heathrow to Montreal and travel the rest of the way by car.
Can anyone with experience of this recommend using an agent to arrange it or is it doable on our own?
It seems straightforward and I know what needs to be done regards to being vaccinated, being certified by a vet 72 hours before travel, etc. I have spoken with Air Canada about the process but I'm now worried I may miss a vital part. I contacted HARC who take the dogs and do the checks and transfer them to the flight, who then added in their email a list of agents which made me wonder if I need one.

Basically should we use an agent to help us get our dogs to Canada?

Hi there,

I'm doing exactly the same at the moment with my dog London to Vancouver. We were all geared to used a courier but then I phoned aircanada to book my flight and booked our dog on at the same time. I have all the paperwork, rabies vaccination, fit to fly and export health certificate (just in case). Having a slight freak over if her crate is too big/is the next size down too small...but I'm the same.... do I need a courier?

A) it's seems they drop with air Canada just as I would
B) the don't travel with her
C) they have a 3rd party for any Canadian paperwork

So I'm a little unsure what the cost (£2100) is for totally...also a ticket with them costs £950 but I booked her on direct for £170.

Any help would be appreciated and I'd love to know what you guys ended up doing!

When I emigrated with my two Springer Spaniels in August 2021, it was right in the middle of Covid and lockdowns, so some things might have changed since then. However, I wouldn’t recommend using a courier or agent—you can do it yourself, and it’s much cheaper and not difficult at all. Your process may differ slightly, but if your dogs are older than 8 months, it should be largely the same as mine.

I highly recommend booking directly over the phone with your airline, as they only operate on specific days and aircrafts that allow animals. I used KLM and was supposed to transfer at Schiphol to a WestJet flight, but a paperwork error delayed us in Amsterdam for a week. It turned out that my employer hadn’t processed some minor paperwork (a COVID-related requirement) to get explicit consent for my under-five-year-old dependents to travel with me to Canada, even though all their visas and other documents were in place.

As a heads-up, KLM only allows either live animals or produce (like cheese or flowers) per flight, due to cargo hold temperature control restrictions. So, you’ll need to check the airline’s policy carefully.

Key considerations:

1. Flight Type: Will your flight have transfers or be direct? If you're transiting through a country in the EU (other than your departure origin), you’ll need an EU pet passport and the relevant health certificates. Your vet will guide you on what’s needed, but make sure they’re authorized to issue an Export Health Certificate (EHC).
   
2. Travel Timing: Be very cautious with timing—runway temperatures must be between -5°C and 30°C. If temperatures fall outside that range, your pet won't be allowed to fly.
   
3. Breed Considerations: Some snout-nosed breeds (e.g., Bulldogs, Pugs) are more sensitive to temperature extremes due to their respiratory systems. Make sure to check with the airline for any breed-specific regulations, as some may not allow certain breeds to travel during particular weather conditions. Additionally, provinces like Ontario have breed restrictions (e.g., Pit Bulls).
   
4. Crate Requirements: You’ll need IATA-approved crates. While some airlines will allow small dogs to travel together in the same crate, it’s generally best to get one crate per dog. Teacup dogs might be allowed to travel in the cabin in a mesh carrier, but they must stay inside for the whole flight. Our flight attendants informed us of the dogs getting boarded/offboarded and general state of happiness at the time which was a nice touch. Once you check the dogs in at the departure airport, you will not see them again until your arrive in Canada (unless you have a transfer and need to collect them, also benefit of calling the airline directly, you'll know straight away and can factor in layover considerations).
   
5. Inspection Fees: At the Canadian border, you’ll have to pay CBSA Inspection Fees (around £18-£30). This is done upon arrival in Canada. They will probably already be expecting you but remember to declare the dogs on your customs landing card when in flight.
   

Estimated Costs Per Dog (GBP):

• Rabies Vaccination: £30-£60
  
• Export Health Certificate: £100-£150
  
• Pet Passport: £50-£100
  
• Microchip: £20-£40
  
• Airline Transport Fees: £100-£500
  
• Travel Crates: £50-£150
  
• CBSA Inspection Fees: £18-£30
  

Estimated Total: £360-£1,000 per dog

Timelines:

• Rabies Vaccination: Must be administered at least 21 days before travel.
  
• Export Health Certificate: Issued within 7 days before travel.
  
• Pet Passport: Ensure it’s up to date 1-2 weeks before travel.
  
• Microchip: Implant before or at the time of rabies vaccination.
  
• Airline Booking: Book flights 2-3 months in advance.
  
• Travel Crates: Purchase 1-2 months before travel.
  
• CBSA Inspection Fees: Paid upon arrival in Canada. This will take a while depending on the complexity of your landing documentation and you'll be sat in a waiting area with others in the same position I recall an additional wait time of 1-2 hours in Calgary. (I had a closed work visa, an open one for my wife and visitor permits for my dependents issued on arrival, on top of the dogs paperwork to have inspected). If you already have your immigration documents in hand, it may take less time.
  

Since we were transiting through the Netherlands, we also needed an EU pet passport.

Providing the CBSA agent is satisfied with paperwork and visual health inspection of the dogs at time of entry you will NOT need any CFIA fees or secondary inspections.

For more detailed information check out the UK and Canada government websites (I cant post direct links yet)

we flew ours from heathrow to halifax direct with air canada 2 dogs two cats they needed pet passports all jabs up to date ect the cats could go in the same kennel but the dogs were in seperate kennels

Hi, thanks for your reply, thats so interesting, was it Air Canada and when did you do this? When I spoke to Air Canada they only allowed one pet on one flight as the aircraft direct to Halifax was too small and not equipped for more than one animal. That's why we were thinking we have to fly to Montreal and drive the rest of the way. It would save so much trouble if we could fly direct

Hi there, I've concluded that its very doable without using a courier, looking at what you and I have got covered we've already done 95% of the work. Save your money and do it yourself, the quotes you have been given are outrageous. I'd ring the airline with your fears over the crate size and have them put your mind at rest. Good luck with it all!

If they are small enough you might be able to have them in the cabin with you, depending on the plane. Only one cat or small dog in the cabin is allowed per passenger
https://www.aircanada.com/uk/en/aco/...ce/pets.html#/

I am wrong. Sorry.

Pets are not allowed in the cabin on all flights departing or arriving in the UK.

hi it was 15 years ago sorry i often forget how long it is that we arrived here when we booked there were only allowed to be 2 dogs and 2 cats per flight so we took up the whole allowance that day, might also be worth checking westjet as they do a london gatwick direct to halifax wishing you good luck

Its not an airline rule, its a UK government rule.

Westjet seem to think so?

It is a UK Government (DEFRA) rule. Pets are not allowed in the cabin of planes arriving and departing the UK. What Westjet or any other airline think is immaterial.