Airline guide

Air Canada pet cargo: how AC Animals works

When your dog or cat has to fly on its own, Air Canada carries them as cargo through its AC Animals service. Here is how booking, pricing, paperwork and the Pearson drop-off work, from Air Canada's own pages.

Get a price for your pet

An airline crate on a cart at the airport

Air Canada animal cargo in short

Air Canada Cargo ships pets that travel on their own, and pets too big or heavy for checked baggage. Your pet flies in the cargo hold in an airline approved hard crate, on a regular Air Canada flight. You do not need to be on the plane.

Anyone can book it. You do not need a cargo account or a pet shipper for a move within Canada. The person who books is the shipper, and pays by card when the pet is dropped off. (A pet shipper registered with IPATA is needed for US and international moves, and for snub-nosed breeds.)

The catch is that it takes some work: a vet health certificate for every pet, a form, a crate that meets the rules, a drop-off at the cargo building at Pearson and a pickup at the other end within a few hours of landing. We take care of the work in Toronto, and we tell the person collecting your pet where to go and what to bring.

Quick facts

Service: Air Canada Cargo, AC Animals
Booking: Phone or email, at least 24 hours ahead
Price: By chargeable weight, plus airline fees
Health certificate: Every pet, within 30 days of travel
Minimum age: 10 weeks
Pearson drop-off: 2580 Britannia Rd E, Mississauga, door 50 (far right). Open 24/7.
Pickup: About 3 hours after landing

Step by step

How to book AC Animals

1
Call or email
Contact AC Animals at 1-800-387-4865 or acanimals@aircanada.ca at least 24 hours before the flight, with the route, date, crate size and your pet's weight and breed.
2
Vet and paperwork
Get the vet health certificate (no more than 30 days before travel) and fill in the Shipper's Certification for Live Animals.
3
Drop-off at Pearson
Bring your pet to the cargo building about 3 hours before the flight. Pay by card at the counter.
4
Pickup on arrival
Your pet is usually ready about 3 hours after landing. Collect your pet as soon as it is ready, and within 4 hours.

A booking is not a promise: weather, aircraft type and embargo dates can still move a pet to another flight.

Air Canada pet cargo cost

Air Canada does not publish a price list for pets. Each shipment is quoted on its chargeable weight, which is the higher of:

the actual weight of your pet plus the crate, or
the volumetric weight of the crate: length x width x height in cm, divided by 6,000.

Airline crates are big and light, so for most pets the size of the crate decides the price. A 300 series crate, for example, is charged as about 47.3 kg, even if the dog inside weighs half that.

Crate	Outside size, cm	Volumetric weight	Charged on size unless pet weighs more than about
100 series (21 inch)	53.3 x 40.6 x 38.1	13.7 kg	11 kg
200 series (28 inch)	71.1 x 52.1 x 54.6	33.7 kg	28 kg
300 series (32 inch)	81.3 x 57.2 x 61	47.3 kg	40 kg
400 series (36 inch)	91.4 x 63.5 x 68.6	66.4 kg	57 kg
500 series (40 inch)	101.6 x 68.6 x 76.2	88.5 kg	75 kg
700 series (48 inch)	121.9 x 81.3 x 88.9	146.8 kg	123 kg

Petmate Sky Kennel outside sizes. Other brands differ a little. The last column is the volumetric weight minus the empty crate.

Air Canada cargo fees on top of the freight

On top of the freight charge, Air Canada adds its own cargo fees, such as terminal, handling and security screening charges. They change from time to time, so check the current amounts on Air Canada Cargo's charges and fees page. The freight rate itself comes from Air Canada's quote for your route and date.

How we price Air Canada moves

We give you one price for the whole move. It includes the airline's charges, the cargo booking, home pickup and check-in at Pearson, and any extras you pick, such as the crate or a ride to your vet. The price depends on your pet's crate size, the route, the breed, the time of year and your pickup address.

Fill in the form. On most routes you see your price on screen right after you enter your contact details, and we email you a copy. For the rest we send it within 24 hours. See pet shipping costs for what goes into the price, or compare with WestJet pet cargo.

Health certificate and forms

A health certificate is required for every pet shipped as cargo, from a licensed vet, dated no more than 30 days before travel. Air Canada Cargo also needs the Shipper's Certification for Live Animals (form ACCF295G), signed by the shipper. Documents travel in a pouch on top of the crate.

Your pet must be at least 10 weeks old. Puppies and kittens of 8 to 10 weeks can only fly through an IPATA pet shipper.

We tell you what your vet needs to fill in, and we can drive your pet to your own vet and back. See vet health certificate for flying.

Crate rules for Air Canada Cargo

Rigid plastic, two parts (top and bottom), solid roof, no door on top
Metal door, held with metal nuts and bolts. Clips alone are not accepted.
Ventilation on all four sides; openings no bigger than 25 x 25 mm for dogs, 19 x 19 mm for cats
No wheels, no wire, soft or collapsible crates
Food and water dishes fixed to the door, fillable from outside
Absorbent bedding. No wood chips, shavings or newspaper.
"LIVE ANIMAL" and "THIS WAY UP" labels

Air Canada's kennel sizes range from XS (53 x 40 x 38 cm) to Giant (122 x 81 x 89 cm). The full chart is on our Air Canada pet policy page. Use the crate size calculator for an estimate of the right size. We also sell ready to fly airline crates: the crate is added to your quote if you need one.

Drop-off and pickup at Pearson

Drop-off: 2580 Britannia Rd E, Mississauga, door 50 (far right). Open 24/7. This is Air Canada's cargo building on Britannia Road, not the passenger terminal. Bring your pet about 3 hours before the flight, and no more than 4 hours before.

Pickup: pets are usually ready about 3 hours after the flight lands, at the Air Canada Cargo office at the destination airport. Collect your pet as soon as it is ready: a pet not collected within 4 hours is moved to a kennel (or a vet) at your cost. That is why, before we book, we confirm who will collect your pet, and we send them the address, the opening hours and the air waybill number.

Moving to Toronto? We collect your pet at Pearson cargo and bring them home anywhere in Toronto and the GTA. See airport pet transport.

Breeds and embargoes

Snub-nosed breeds

Air Canada Cargo accepts snub-nosed breeds, such as Pugs, Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, Boxers and Shih Tzus, only when they are sent through an IPATA approved pet shipper. For these breeds we usually look at WestJet, which takes them directly at a higher rate. The full breed list is on our Air Canada pet policy page.

Strong breeds

Rottweilers, mastiff types, pit bull types and the other breeds on Air Canada's strong breed list need a reinforced crate (IATA CR 82). Puppies from 3 to 6 months are exempt. Air Canada Cargo does not accept wolf dogs. Pit bull type dogs are restricted in Ontario, so we cannot move them through Pearson.

Holidays, winter and heat

Air Canada's cargo page says it does not carry cats or dogs as cargo within Canada from December 15 to January 12.
From November 1 to March 31, Air Canada does not carry animals as cargo on some narrow-body aircraft. We check the aircraft type when we book.
Neither airline has a dated summer embargo within Canada. Air Canada rebooks pets when it is 29.5°C or hotter at the origin, the destination or along the way, and WestJet may decline snub-nosed breeds in hot weather.

More on winter and holiday pet embargoes.

Air Canada pet cargo: questions

How much does Air Canada pet cargo cost?

Air Canada prices each pet shipment by chargeable weight (whichever is higher: the real weight of pet and crate, or the size-based weight of the crate), plus airline fees. Current charges are on Air Canada Cargo's charges and fees page. Our price includes the airline's charges. Fill in the form: on most routes you see your price on screen right after you enter your contact details, and for the rest we send it within 24 hours.

How do I book AC Animals?

By phone at 1-800-387-4865 or by email at acanimals@aircanada.ca, at least 24 hours before the flight. There is no online booking. The person who books is the shipper and pays by card at drop-off. Or ask us to book and handle the whole move.

Does Air Canada Cargo need a health certificate?

Yes. A health certificate is required for every pet shipped as cargo, from a licensed vet, dated no more than 30 days before travel. You also fill in Air Canada's Shipper's Certification for Live Animals. We can drive your pet to your own vet for the check. See vet health certificate for flying.

Can I ship a French Bulldog or a Pug with Air Canada Cargo?

Only through an IPATA approved pet shipper, because they are snub-nosed breeds. WestJet Cargo accepts snub-nosed breeds directly, at a higher rate and with a vet health check, so it is often the simpler option. We price these moves by hand.

What is chargeable weight?

It is the weight the airline charges for: the actual weight of the pet and crate, or the volumetric weight of the crate, whichever is higher. Volumetric weight is length x width x height in cm divided by 6,000. A 300 series crate works out to about 47.3 kg, so most pets are charged on the size of their crate.

How soon after landing can my pet be picked up?

Usually about 3 hours after the flight lands, at the Air Canada Cargo office at the destination airport. Collect your pet as soon as it is ready: a pet not collected within 4 hours is moved to a kennel (or a vet) at your cost.

Does Air Canada ship pets in December?

Not over the holidays. Air Canada's cargo page says it does not carry cats or dogs as cargo within Canada from December 15 to January 12. From November 1 to March 31, Air Canada does not carry animals as cargo on some narrow-body aircraft. If your move falls in that time, tell us early and we will look at WestJet and other dates.

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?

Tell us about your pet and your dates. On most routes you see your price on screen right after you enter your contact details. For the rest we send it within 24 hours.

Get your price