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Transporting a Dog to Canada

By Sharon McRae

A lot of people have been asking about the details of transporting a dog in cargo (i.e. not on the airplane under your seat) to either Canada or the US via air. What I have found out is that every single airline seems to have their own peculiar rules as well as many destinations have very specific rules.

A couple I know was transporting their dog to Panama a few weeks before I took my dog to Canada, their process was MUCH more complex and costly than mine-which seems odd being as they were travelling within Central America and on a much shorter flight. Their airline made them take the dog and crate into Managua a week prior to the flight to be weighed (obviously not trusting the vet nor the pet owners), also would not guarantee them that their pet would even get on the same flight as them!  They also ran into difficulties with details required by Panama and the vet (they used the same one I did) had a very confusing time. Luckily all worked out well in the end- but I know they had a very stressful time organizing things.

My story was completely different. I took my dog, Luna, (a rescued street dog) to Sergio a vet in Granada about a month prior to flying out. He began all paperwork and gave her some of her booster shots. I then arranged to contact him a week prior to flying out to gather all paperwork. Sergio was in constant contact, had all paperwork done on time. The cost for his services was $80.

When I called to make travel arrangements, my carrier, Air Transat, was great. They provided me with two confirmation numbers, one for me, one for Luna. They did not require any special labelling of the crate, they only asked that I be at the check in desk 2.5 hours prior to boarding. They contacted me numerous times before the flight to double check on certain details (like what breed she was- they eventually accepted a photo and called her a Chihuahua -very large- haha). Hearing what my friends were experiencing I was questioning Air Transat daily up until the flight. Many airlines require that you transport your dog to the cargo area 3 plus hours ahead of check-in. Air Transat reassured me that they would handle all of that….I must admit I had my doubts!

When I arrived at the airport, they were great. They labelled the crate , checked my paperwork, and had a governmental employee come right to the desk to sign off on all paperwork. I then walked Luna around the check-in desk and back though an employee only area (escorted, of course) where her crate was waiting. I was allowed to put her in her crate, spend some time with her to calm her down, and even speak to someone advising them of when best to give her water. They then took Luna and the crate away and I returned to board the flight.

Such a stressful time boarding and wondering if your pet is actually even on the plane.

As I settled into my seat and as boarding was just finished, a man in a reflector vest came onto the airplane and approached my seat..I felt my stomach lurch- things had seemed so easy this far! He came up to me and asked me to confirm my identity, which I did, and he then handed me a paper with a dog picture and the words “Luna is safely on the plane”. He smiled and said “have a great flight”, the surrounding passengers (who had seen me at check -in) all applauded and we were off.

Six hours later I picked her up in Montreal. Heading through customs was a breeze, only the $35 fee was a tad painful!

Luna is now safe in Canada. She is a tad out-of-sorts and suffering a strange skin infection and some emotional effects after a dog-attack in Nicaragua….but she is basically healthy and happy and is even liking the snow!

So if you are transporting your doggie, pick your airline carefully and research destination country requirements. If you are headed to Canada -I would HIGHLY recommend Air Transat!

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