To allow our team to enjoy the U.S. Memorial Day holiday weekend with their families, Air Animal will be closed beginning Friday, May 27 and reopen at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 31, 2022.  Have a safe and happy holiday weekend.

Taking your precious small pet in the cabin with you on vacation? Before buying your plane tickets to any destination outside the continental U.S., check these things off your list.

1. Is the rabies vaccination valid? 
• If your pet's rabies vaccination lapsed, you cannot obtain the required pet health certificate. Most countries require a 30-day wait after vaccination before arrival.
2. Does the country permit in-cabin pet arrival? 
• The European Union permits in-cabin arrivals with appropriate permissions. The United Kingdom only permits pet arrival by air cargo. Check our resources menu for information on the rules for many destinations.
3. Check out our page about traveling with your pet.
• Our information table includes USA and North American airlines that permit in-cabin travel for small pets. 
• There's a link to information about pet health certificates.
• We include info about traveling with service and support animals.

COVID has become endemic—health experts agree it is going to be with us for some time. COVID-induced flight cancellations continue to plague passengers and relocating pets. Cancellations and delays aren’t just holiday and weather-related. Airline and air cargo staffing and endemic-related mechanical delays play a role, too.

“We don’t fly the planes. Pets relocate as precious air cargo below the wing in regularly scheduled passenger airlines,” explained Dr. Walter M. Woolf, Air Animal founding veterinarian and CEO.

“When a flight cancels with pets booked below the wing, the pets’ flights are delayed too. Unlike people, delayed pets may need to return to a pet hotel or temporary caregiver while we book new flights. Hanging out at the airport isn’t always feasible.”

“We understand delays and cancellations are frustrating for pet parents. It’s difficult for pets in transit and for the Air Animal pet move managers who move to their plan B--rescheduling pet move bookings.”

During endemic-induced delays Air Animal pledges to:

• Contact pet parents if a flight cancels or delays.
• Update pet parents about rescheduled flights and/or temporary pet care arrangements.
• Assure pets receive adequate water and bathroom breaks or walks. Food is attached to the kennel before flight and small amounts are offered if needed.
• Encourage pet parents to use the flight tracker in the Air Animal Portal or use online air waybill trackers to follow their pet in transit.

For clients visiting Air Animal offices for health certificate exams we:

• Provide sanitation stations throughout our offices.
• Require masks if you’re coming into the office with your pet.
• Can call you on your mobile if you prefer to wait in your vehicle with your pet until the veterinarian is ready for the exam.

Get the rabies antibody test done early before moving with pets to destinations that require the FAVN test result before entry. Turnaround time for rabies antibody tests is now six to eight weeks.

If relocating to Hawaii within two to 36 months, assure your pet's rabies vaccination is up to date, then get the rabies antibody test done now from an accredited U.S. laboratory. FAVN results are good for 36 months for Hawaii entry.

Time Magazine reporter Melissa Chan interviewed Dr. Walter M. Woolf, Air Animal founding veterinarian and CEO, about the U.S. Centers for Disease Control dog import ban. 

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention temporarily suspended dog importation from countries with high risk of canine rabies in July 2021 and updated its rules in December 2021. The CDC action protects public health and ensures against reintroducing dog rabies in the United States.

Dogs with U.S.-issued Rabies Certificates

"The December update allows dogs to re-enter the United States from a high risk country without an import permit if the dog has been vaccinated by a U.S.-licensed veterinarian and has met five criteria," according to Walter M. Woolf, veterinarian founder of Air Animal Pet Movers. The dog

1. has a valid U.S.-issued rabies vaccination certificate;
2. has proof of a microchip;
3. is at least 6 months old;
4. is healthy upon arrival; and
5. arrives at an approved port of entry 

All dogs entering the United States from a high-risk county must enter through one of 18 approved ports of entry, which includes all airports with a CDC quarantine station: Anchorage (ANC), Atlanta (ATL), Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD), Dallas (DFW), Detroit (DTW), Honolulu (HNL), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), Minneapolis (MSP), New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), Philadelphia (PHL), San Francisco (SFO), San Juan (SJU), Seattle (SEA), and Washington DC (IAD).

Dogs with Foreign-issued Rabies Certificates

Dogs with foreign-issued rabies vaccination certificates must still apply for an import permit. Import permits from high-risk countries will be extremely limited and granted case-by-case. Travel is not a valid reason. Criteria:

• A U.S. government employee with permanent change of station or temporary duty orders.
• A U.S. citizen or lawful U.S. resident relocating to the United States for employment or education.
• An owner of a service dog trained to assist a person with a disability.
• Emotional support animals, comfort animals, companionship animals, and service animals in training are not service animals.
• Importers wishing to import dogs for science, education, or exhibition, or for bona fide law enforcement

"Pet parents are personally responsible for requesting a pet import permit. This also applies to pet parents who have visited high risk countries with their dogs in the past six months,“ Woolf said.

“Before applying for a permit, eligible pet parents should make sure they gather documents required. Make sure you submit all documents. Then follow these steps in order,” he advised.

1. At least four months before planning to return to the U.S., check IPATA.org and find a local professional pet shipper to advise you. Watch the Air Animal website for updates.
2. Assure your dog is microchipped. If the rabies vaccinations and the accompanying certificates expire in less than six months, assure the dog receives a rabies booster before expiration.
3. Have a rabies antibody test (FAVN-OIE) run by an accredited lab.
4. Wait at least 45 days before applying for the U.S. pet import permit.
5. Plan another 45 day wait to hear if the permit has been approved. If the permit is approved schedule pet transport. All dogs must arrive at the live animal care facility at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.

Permits will not be given at arrival. Dogs without a permit will be denied entry and returned to the country of departure at the owner’s expense.

There is no appeal for denied applications. Application does not guarantee approval.

Click these links for further requirements and more information

• How to apply for an import permit and requirements
• Approved ports of entry (updated by the CDC) 
• Click the map for the full list of countries considered high risk for canine rabies

The CDC will periodically review the suspension.

(December 13, 2021)-- Today StratAir and Amerijet airlines temporarily stopped all pet air cargo transports for the holidays. This affects pet air cargo moves to and from the United States and the Caribbean Islands. Amerijet announced they will re-start pet cargo shipments Jan. 3, 3022. StratAir announced pet shipments will begin again Jan. 10, 2022. Read More...

Hello, I am Dr. Walter Woolf, the veterinarian founder and CEO of Air Animal Pet Movers. Thank you for your time and interest in Air Animal. If you are searching for pet travel options  this article is for you. 

Please remember that for holiday, leisure travel and vacations you are responsible for booking your own and your pet’s travel with your chosen airline. 

If you are relocating for job opportunities, career advancement, military PCS or returning to your home county, Air Animal is at your service. We relocate pets moving with their families anywhere in the U.S.—by ground, by air or a combination of the two. If you’re moving overseas, we understand the destination requirements to get your pet to your new home with the least amount of stress for you and your pet. Our Air Animal team fields a sizable number of phone calls, LiveChat website inquiries and online requests for pet move proposals every day.

Flight Options, Traveling with Pets

If you’re traveling instead of relocating and you have a few more minutes I will share some pet travel airline flight options. My tips focus on North, Central and South American travel. 

Be aware the U.S. Centers for Disease Control has suspended dog import and travel from countries with a high-rick of rabies. That includes many countries in South America. The process to return to the U.S. with a dog from any of these countries is difficult and extensive. Our blog about the CDC Dog Import Suspension has links you should read thoroughly before traveling with your dog.

Our staff has posted information and links to commercial passenger airline pet travel programs below. Pet travel health documents required vary between airlines and from one destination to another. For example, Hawaii’s protocol requires a rabies antibody test before entry and no quarantine.

Before you purchase your non-refundable passenger ticket for fall or winter leisure travel, use our list. Find the airline with the pet travel and acceptance policy that allows you to take your pet as “cabin baggage” in the passenger compartment. Every passenger airline defines the number of pets eligible to fly as cabin baggage, their weight and size, and the permitted breeds and species. You’ll also find that airline passenger cabin policies differ—especially when it comes to the number of pets allowed in the passenger compartment.

The pet travel scenario includes families in the USA who take their pets with them to visit relatives overseas for special life cycle events, weddings, graduations and religious holidays. The common requirements for international pet leisure travel are:

1. An implanted microchip for pet verification
2. A rabies vaccination at least 30 days old but not more than one year old
3. An international health certificate issued by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and validated by the USDA within 10 days of flight.

Please note: Canada, the Bahamas and Mexico do not require USDA endorsement for entry.

Thanks for your time and be safe out there!

Walter Woolf, VMD, Air Animal Founder and Veterinarian

Click the table to print or download basic airline pet travel requirements

2021 Holiday Pet Travel Links

Airline	Toll Free	Website
Aeromexico	(800) 237-6639	https://aeromexico.com/petpolicy
Air Canada	(888) 247-2262	https://www.aircanada.com/petpolicy
Alaska Airlines	(800) 252-7522	https://www.alaskaair.com/petpolicy
American	(800) 433-7300	https://www.aa.com/petpolicy
Avianca	+57 018000-953-434	https://www.avianca.com/petpolicy
Cayman	(305) 949 8200	https://www.caymanairways.com/petpolicy
Copa	(305) 371-2672	https://www.copaair.com/petpolicy
Delta	(800) 221-1212	https://www.delta.com/petpolicy
Frontier	(801) 401-9000	https://www.flyfrontier.com/petpolicy
Hawaiian *Flights leaving Hawaii or inter-island flights	(800) 367 5320	https://www.hawaiianairlines.com/petpolicy
JetBlue	(800) 538-2583	https://www.jetblue.com/petpolicy
Latam	(866) 435-9526	https://www.latam.com/petpolicy
Southwest	(800) 435-9792	https://www.southwest.com/petpolicy
Spirit	(855) 728-3555	https://customersupport.spirit.com/petpolicy
United	(800) 864-8331	https://www.united.com/petpolicy