colin2496

We are moving to Canada via the US this July and are looking into how to get our Golden Retriever there. My wife and I might be going on the QM2 (cheaper and unlimited baggage but unfortunately no room in their kennel), so our girl would be flying unaccompanied into the states and met by my mother in law on the other side.

I came across this on the AKC site: http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=3743,

"the directive requires that all animals, including dogs, coming into the United States booked as manifest cargo must be tendered at their [foreign] origin airport by a "Regulated Agent" or "IATA-Approved Agent".

I am assuming this means we must use a pet agent on this side before we fly her into the States. Is this correct?

Can you hire a "pet agent" to use and then make your own plane reservations? Or are they only available through a pet shipping agency?

Can anyone recommend a good pet agent/ shipping company?

Thanks much for any help.

Bob

Don't really know the answers, but I do know there's a lot of threads with plenty of info, and also the wiki should be a good help to get you going

snodog

The theory used to be that you could do it yourself - however, in the time we've been travelling with our dogs, this has got harder to do.

Latterly, we've been using this company http://www.airpets.com/index.html
and I can heartily recommend them.
We have no connection to them other than as very satisfied customers etc etc.

notacrime

The change in the TSA rules has thrown a bit of a spanner in the works.

There are three ways to fly a pet to the US.

1. as cargo
2. as checked baggage
3. as carry on

It used to be relatively cheap to do all 3, but since they introduced the IATA rule option 1. got a lot more expensive, I was quoted £1500 for my cat from Edinburgh to San Francisco. On continental it used to be $250 for the cat to go as cargo.

Obviously you can only do 2. or 3. if you are going to be on the flight. But it might be cheaper to fly back to the UK once you arrive in Canada just to pick up the pooch, or buying a friend a flight to come visit you soon after you arrive in return for accompanying the dog.

You might also want to look in to airlines that fly direct to Canada. They won't have the same rules as flights in to the US. Their pet policy will be on their website, and the bigger airlines have a pet desk that you can call to get info.

Good luck.

PepsiChic

theres a fantastic forum about flying with pets HERE

A8NNC

Hi We are moving to the US July/Aug this year and I found that as my dog has a Pet Passport all of the airlines that transport animals will take him no probs. Virgin Atlantic Cargo Dept were very very helpful even gave me website address to order a dog carrier for him. They charge by size and only transport a few animals at a time, I think not sure.

The companies that ship your animals do charge you quite large fees, but unless you need to use them you can do it all yourself. Just make sure you ring the airline cargo dept and they will advise you exactly what to do.
Unless of course you are unable to drop your dog off and need boarding then you might need to use their services. We will travel on the same flight as our dog. the morning of the flight we are going to drop the dog off at cargo and he will fly on the same flight as us, we will collect him at customs and take him through and pay the $40 then off we go.... Virgin told me it really was that easy.

notacrime

The TSA are no longer allowing pets to travel as manifest cargo in to the US unless they have been dropped off at the origin by an IATA registered pet shipping agent.

http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=3743

You are traveling with your pet, and therefore your pet is considered excess baggage and you don't have to deal with this rule.

The OP doesn't have this option, they are asking about sending their pet unaccompanied.