Pet Travel News

We've moved over 100,000 pets all over the globe and we've learned a thing or two about services that reduce stress for Fortune 500 employees, service members with PCS orders and families. That's why we offer a menu of concierge services that fits every family and every move.

Our concierge services include streamlined health certificates. Perfect for pets who are small enough to travel in cabin. Check out our U.S. Customs clearance, airport concierge and mobile app. We also build custom and kennel extensions for pets we move across the U.S. or around the globe. Foxy posed with her extended travel kennel before her flight to Singapore.

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Pet Moving Made Easy® is our passion and our promise to you. You may not know that digging the details is in our DNA. Everyone on our pet moving team is a logistics expert at heart. We back them up with an extensive client service system and a new mobile app.

Every client gets to know their pet move manager personally. Our pet movers give clients their office and cell numbers. Clients can communicate—even after business hours--using email or the app.

Clients choose from three service levels. (https://airanimal.com/pricing-pet-moves.cfm)

• VIP Door-to-Door is our most popular option. We include residential pickup and delivery at the destination, airport terminal services, commercial airline cargo charges and health certificate reviews.
• Pet Express works well for clients who can take their pet to the airport before they leave or pick up their pet at the destination airport. It includes residential pickup at origin or destination residential delivery, commercial airline cargo charges and health certificate reviews.
• Timeline and Ticket serves our budget-minded clients. Timeline & Ticket works best when a friend or family member delivers and picks up the pet on each end of the flight. The basic package includes commercial airline cargo charges, pre-flight checklist guide and health certificate reviews. Timeline & Ticket clients deliver and pick-up their own pets at the airport cargo offices.

Like flights for people, pet moving costs are based on service level, concierge services requested, the weight of the pet inside the travel kennel and the length of the flight. We post our domestic  and international pricing online along with details about our service levels.

We’re all about the details, clear communication and getting your pet to your new home safely.

Don’t see the information you’re seeking on airanimal.com? Our intake coordinators are often available through LiveChat on the website. You can give us a call. If you have details about your upcoming relocation, request an estimate online.When you request an estimate, your pet mover will give you access to our new mobile app.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Britain’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs is using the following criteria to determine appropriate rabies documentation for pet dogs, cats and ferrets entering the United Kingdom:

• If a microchip was not implanted before rabies vaccination, then all previous rabies vaccinations are invalid.
• The first rabies vaccination after microchip implantation is considered the "primary vaccine," and is ONLY valid for one-year, regardless of whether the animal has been current on all prior rabies vaccinations.
• Therefore, if an animal travels more than 12 months after the first rabies vaccination post-microchip, then the owner must provide documentation that a booster was given within 12 months of this "primary vaccine."
• If the owner cannot provide such documentation, then the animal will be re-vaccinated and held 21 days in quarantine in the UK at the owner's expense.

Air Animal follows this specific DEFRA protocol so our clients are not delayed by short-term quarantines when they arrive in the UK.

Air Animal helped Pearl, a toy poodle, and her pet parents relocate successfully to the UK this spring.

Even though the United Kingdom may have ruled your household goods are exempt from Her Majesty’s Value Added Tax, you must list your pet(s) because they may be subject to VAT.

As soon as you know your PCS post is to the UK, go online and complete a Transfer of Residence form listing household goods, cars and your pets. The UK will send you a TOR reference number.

Not having a TOR reference number will not prohibit your pet from entering the UK. But, you may have to pay VAT on arrival. If you do pay, you have 12 months to apply for reimbursement.

We highly recommend using Air Animal’s Destination Pet Express for all active duty military personnel moving pets to Okinawa, Japan; Catania, Italy; and other island posts. Both Japan and Italy have only two or three airports that have Custom’s clearance for pets. That means the pets land and then either transfer to a domestic airline or travel by land and ferry to reach your new post.

These transfers can add $2,500 to $3,500 to the base cost of a move. Air Animal Destination Pet Express handles the details from the airport to your new post home so you don’t have to. “If you’re being stationed on an island, request an estimate online as soon as you get written or verbal orders,” advises Jessica, international pet move manager. “We’ll get back to you in two business days.”

Many airlines limit the types of breeds they will ship—especially if the departure or arrival airport temperature is above 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Mushy-faced breeds such as bulldogs, boxers and Himalayan cats are typically on the no-fly lists because their airways are genetically constricted and these breeds have had problems breathing during flight.

United, American and Delta airlines have all announced limits on the types of animals and breeds they will accept on board. (Links to
United PetSafe
American
Delta

You want your fur baby to be comfortable and safe during a move. "Active duty military who redeploy frequently may wish to consider adopting a pet under 25-inches tall with a pointy nose,” advises Maria, international pet move manager. “Depending on the season, we may be able to get your pet to your destination and not able to fly them out when you need to get to your next duty station. We often work with a buddy who can foster the pet until the temperatures allow air flight for pets.”

Prepare to drive your pet to a distant airport if you’re posting to or from Minot, North Dakota or Alaska among others.

“Our Air Force clients love Great Danes,” said Jessica, international pet move manager. “When you adopt a large pet, you get a lot of love and more headaches for your move because large 700P kennels will not fit through the doors of the 737s now flying most airline routes,” she counsels. Large dogs must be driven to a major hub to catch a large jet. Then, owners must drive to the destination hub to retrieve their pets.

Pets less than 25-inches tall, paws to the top of the ears, can relocate more easily because their travel kennels fit on most airliners. The largest accepted on the most-frequently used airplanes is a 500p which is 40"Lx27"Wx30"H. Watch our video to learn more about travel kennel requirements. You might also find the 411 on Travel Kennels helpful.

Active duty military have the option to use a military veterinarian for all required treatments, tests and endorsed pet health certificates for most countries that follow the European Union pet import rules. For example, Japan, Korea and the United Kingdom also follow EU protocols. If your PCS is anywhere else, you must have a USDA-endorsed health certificate when leaving the U.S. with your pet.

A pet health certificate is required when returning to the U.S., but USDA-endorsement is not required.

If your posting is to Australia, United Arab Emirates or other non-typical location, call your veterinarian as soon as you receive orders. If your veterinarian is not familiar with the requirements, we can help you through our streamlined pet health certificate service. Air Animal’s expert pet movers will help you follow all the import rules to a “T” because these countries don’t make special allowances for U.S. military personnel. A USDA-endorsed health certificate will be required.