Airline guides

Canadian airlines and pets

Five Canadian airlines take pets, but in very different ways. Here is who takes pets in the cabin, who takes them in the hold, and who will fly a pet on its own from Toronto. Checked against each airline's own pages.

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Three ways a pet can fly

Every airline question comes down to where your pet travels on the plane.

In the cabin: a small cat or dog in a soft carrier under the seat in front of you. You are on the same flight.
As checked baggage: your pet travels in the hold in a hard crate, on the same flight as you. You check them in at the airport counter and collect them when you land.
As cargo: your pet flies on its own, booked through the airline's cargo department. You do not need to be on the plane, or even in the same city.

Cargo is the part we handle for you from Toronto.

Quick facts

Pet flies alone: From Toronto: Air Canada Cargo and WestJet Cargo only
Cabin: Air Canada, WestJet, Porter, Flair, Air Transat
Checked bag: Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat
CFIA: No federal health certificate for travel within Canada. The airline decides.
December: Little or no pet space in the hold around the holidays
Last checked: October 1, 2026

Side by side

Pet policies of Canadian airlines compared

Fees are the airlines' own passenger fees for flights within Canada, one way, per pet, as published on their sites. They are not our prices.

Airline	In the cabin	Checked (you fly too)	On its own, from Toronto
Air Canada	Cat or small dog, soft carrier. $50 to $60	Cats and dogs, up to 45 kg with the kennel. $105 to $126	Yes: Air Canada Cargo (AC Animals). Priced by chargeable weight, plus airline fees.
WestJet	Cats, dogs and birds, soft kennel. $50 to $59	Cats, dogs and some small pets, up to 45 kg with the kennel. $100 to $118	Yes: WestJet Cargo (Pet'Air). Priced by kennel size, plus airline fees.
Porter	Small pets in the cabin. Check fees and carrier size with Porter.	No	No
Flair	Small pets in the cabin, flights within Canada. Check fees and carrier size with Flair.	No	No
Air Transat	Cats and dogs, soft carrier, up to 8 kg with the carrier. $50 per flight	Cats and dogs, up to 45 kg with the cage. $100 per flight	Not listed on its pet page for flights within Canada. Ask Air Transat.

Air Canada's and WestJet's fees are shown as ranges because the tax depends on where you fly from. Air Transat lists one fee per flight segment. Porter and Flair: see their own pages, linked at the bottom of this page.

If your pet is flying on its own

Only two airlines will fly a dog or cat on its own from Toronto Pearson: Air Canada Cargo (AC Animals) and WestJet Cargo (Pet'Air). Both need an airline approved hard crate and a drop-off at their cargo building at Pearson about 3 hours before the flight. The main differences:

Price: Airlines charge for pet cargo by weight and volume. WestJet prices by kennel size, and Air Canada by chargeable weight (the greater of the real weight and the volume weight), plus airline fees. Our price includes the airline's charges.
Health certificate: Air Canada Cargo needs one for every pet. WestJet Cargo needs one only for some pets, such as snub-nosed breeds and very young puppies or kittens.
Snub-nosed breeds: Air Canada only takes them through an IPATA approved pet shipper. WestJet takes them at a higher rate.
Pickup: about 1.5 hours after landing on WestJet, about 3 hours on Air Canada.

Nothing is final until the airline confirms the space. Full guides: Air Canada pet cargo and WestJet pet cargo.

If you are flying with your pet

A small pet that fits under the seat can fly in the cabin with any of the five airlines. Book the pet's space early: airlines limit the number of pets on each flight. Bigger pets go in the hold as checked baggage on Air Canada, WestJet or Air Transat, but Air Canada and WestJet do not take snub-nosed breeds in the hold, and the hold closes to pets over the December holidays.

We can help around the flight: a crate that meets the airline rules, a ride to your vet, and a ride for your pet to Pearson to meet you at check-in. Owners do not ride in our vehicles, so we meet you there.

Porter and Flair: cabin only

Porter and Flair take small pets in the cabin, and nothing in the hold. Flair's pet service is for flights within Canada. If your dog is too big for an under-seat carrier, neither airline can fly them. Fees, carrier sizes and the number of pets per flight change from time to time, so check Porter's pet page or Flair's pet page before you book.

Air Transat: only when you fly too

Air Transat takes cats and dogs only, at least 12 weeks old, in the cabin or in the hold, on flights where you travel too. Reserve at least 24 hours ahead. Some breeds are not carried at all, including pit bull types, most mastiffs, Rottweilers and Dobermans. Its page also asks for a health certificate and proof of rabies vaccination at check-in.

CFIA pet travel rules within Canada

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) sets the rules for animals in transport under the Health of Animals Regulations. They apply to every animal travelling by road, air or sea: the carrier must be secure, well ventilated, and big enough for your pet to stand, turn around and lie down.

What CFIA does not have is a health certificate requirement for pets moving between provinces. Its certificate pages cover pets coming into or leaving Canada. For a flight within Canada, the airline sets the rule. Air Canada Cargo needs a vet health certificate for every pet, WestJet Cargo for some pets, and Air Transat asks for one at check-in. We tell you which applies to your move, and we can drive your pet to your own vet. See vet health certificate for flying.

Holidays and winter

WestJet does not carry pets as cargo on its 737 and Q400 aircraft from December 18 to January 4. Only 787 flights can carry pets as cargo in that window. WestJet takes no checked pets on any aircraft in that window. Air Canada's cargo page says it does not carry cats or dogs as cargo within Canada from December 15 to January 12. Air Canada also limits pets in the hold of some aircraft from November to March. If your move falls near the holidays, plan early. Our guide to winter and holiday pet embargoes has the dates for both airlines.

Airline by airline

Full guides for Air Canada and WestJet

Air Canada pet policy

Pets in the cabin and as checked baggage: fees, carrier sizes, breed limits and winter rules.

Air Canada pet cargo

How AC Animals works when your pet flies alone: booking, chargeable weight, health certificate, Pearson drop-off.

WestJet pet policy

Pets in the cabin and as checked baggage: WestJet pet fees, kennel sizes and holiday limits.

WestJet pet cargo

Pet'Air: how WestJet charges by kennel size, breed rules and what to bring to Pearson.

Moving with your pet? Start with moving pets across Canada, or check the routes we fly from Toronto.

Canadian airlines and pets: questions

Which Canadian airlines allow pets?

Air Canada, WestJet, Porter, Flair and Air Transat all take small pets in the cabin. Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat also take cats and dogs in the hold as checked baggage when you are on the same flight. Each airline has its own fees, carrier sizes and breed rules, so read the guide for the airline you plan to fly.

Which airlines ship pets as cargo in Canada?

For a pet flying on its own from Toronto, the options are Air Canada Cargo (AC Animals) and WestJet Cargo (Pet'Air). Porter and Flair do not carry pets in the hold, and Air Transat's pet page describes pets travelling with you, not on their own.

Can my dog fly alone within Canada?

Yes, as airline cargo with Air Canada or WestJet, in an airline approved crate. You do not have to be on the flight. Someone drops your pet off at the airline's cargo office and someone collects them at the other end. See Air Canada pet cargo and WestJet pet cargo, or let us handle it.

Does CFIA require a health certificate to fly a pet within Canada?

We found no federal health certificate requirement for pets travelling within Canada. The CFIA pages on certificates cover pets entering or leaving the country. The airline decides: Air Canada Cargo needs one for every pet, WestJet Cargo for some pets, and Air Transat's pet page asks for one at check-in. See vet health certificate for flying.

Does Flair allow pets? What about Porter?

Both take small pets in the cabin only. Flair carries pets in the cabin on flights within Canada and has no cargo service. Porter does not carry pets in the hold. A dog too big for an under-seat carrier cannot fly with either airline. Check fees and carrier sizes on Flair's pet page and Porter's pet page.

Last checked against the airlines' own pages on October 1, 2026.

Airlines change their rules. Always check the official page before you book.

Want us to handle it?

We book your pet on an Air Canada or WestJet cargo flight from Toronto, with home pickup, the crate and the paperwork. On most routes you see your price on screen right after you enter your contact details.

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