Step by step
How pet relocation works
An air move has a lot of small parts: the crate, the paperwork, the airline booking and someone at each end. Here is each step, what we do, and what we need from you. Local rides in Toronto are simpler, and they are further down the page.
Air move
Moving your pet by air, step by step
Your pet flies on its own as airline cargo. You pick which parts you want us to handle.
1. Get your price
Fill in the quote form with your pet's details, your addresses and your dates. We ask for your email and phone before we show a price, so we can send it to you and keep it on file.
On most routes you see your price on screen right after you enter your contact details, and we email you a copy. Some moves are priced by hand: some routes and dates, snub-nosed and strong breeds, very large pets and moves with more than two pets. For those, we email your price within 24 hours.
From us: one price, the tax, what is included, and the date the price is valid until (7 days).
2. Crate and measuring
In the air, your pet always travels in an airline approved crate: rigid plastic in two parts joined with metal nuts and bolts, a solid roof, a metal door, air holes on all four sides, no wheels, and food and water dishes fixed to the door. Wire, soft and folding crates are not accepted.
We suggest the smallest crate series that fits from four measurements: nose to base of tail, floor to elbow, width across the shoulders, and floor to the top of the head or ear tips. You can try it with the crate size calculator.
The crate size is an estimate based on the measurements you enter. Your pet may need a bigger crate once we see them in person, and the airline makes the final call at check-in. We will confirm the crate before we order it.
You can use your own crate if it meets the airline rules, or buy one from us in any size: the crate is added to your quote if you need one. Ours comes ready to fly with bedding, dishes, labels and cable ties. See airline pet crates.
3. Vet visit and health certificate
Air Canada Cargo needs a vet health certificate for every pet, dated no more than 30 days before travel. WestJet Cargo needs one only for some pets: snub-nosed breeds, puppies and kittens 8 to 12 weeks old, pets after surgery, and sedated pets. WestJet's certificate is valid for 10 days. Some people call it a fit to fly certificate.
Any licensed vet can sign it. There is no federal certificate for moving a pet within Canada, so you can use your own vet. We tell you which rule applies once the airline is set, and we can drive your pet to the vet and back. You pay the vet directly. More on the vet health certificate for flying.
4. Booking and airline confirmation
When you are happy with the price, press the book button in your quote email. We then contact the airline and ask for cargo space on the flight and timing that are easiest on your pet.
Nothing is final until the airline confirms space. Once it does, we send you the flight, the air waybill number and the check-in time.
5. Pickup and check-in
On the day, our driver collects your pet at home and drives to the airline's cargo building at Pearson, which is not the passenger terminal. Pets are checked in about 3 hours before the flight. We fill in the airline's shipper's certificate for live animals, label the crate and attach the paperwork.
6. The flight
Your pet flies in the hold as cargo. We track the flight and let you know when it lands.
7. Arrival
Pets are usually ready at the airline's cargo office about 1.5 hours after landing on WestJet, and about 3 hours on Air Canada. 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.
Coming to Toronto: we collect your pet at Pearson cargo and bring them to your home anywhere in Toronto and the GTA.
Leaving Toronto: someone you choose collects your pet at the airline's cargo office at the destination airport. We send them the address, the opening hours and the air waybill number.
Flying with your pet instead?
We can help with the crate, the vet visit and getting your pet to Pearson. Owners do not ride in our vehicles, so we bring your pet to the airport and meet you there. You pay the airline's pet fee yourself. See airport pet transport.
Local ride
Local rides in Toronto and the GTA
Vet, groomer, daycare and airport rides. Pets ride without their owners.
- 1
Get your price
Choose a local ride in the form. Trips under 60 km with one end in Toronto or the inner GTA get a price on screen.
- 2
Tell us about your pet
Size, temperament, any health issues, and how they ride best: in a carrier, in a crate, or loose.
- 3
Pickup
The driver collects your pet at the door with your pet's leash, carrier or crate. You get a message when they are on the way.
- 4
Drop-off
We hand your pet over at the vet, groomer or daycare, and bring them home on a return trip if you booked one.
For vet visits, the driver waits while your pet is seen. You choose a waiting time of 45, 60 or 90 minutes, and extra time is billed in 15 minute blocks after the trip. If you add it to your booking, the driver stays in the exam room and you join by phone. More on the pet taxi in Toronto.
Keeping you posted
What you hear from us at each step
| When | What you get |
|---|---|
| You ask for a price | An email with your price, what is included and the date it is valid until. If we price it by hand, an email within 24 hours. |
| You book | An email to say we have your booking request and are checking airline space. |
| Flight confirmed | The flight, the air waybill number, the check-in time and what to have ready. |
| Pickup day | A message when the driver is on the way, and another when your pet is checked in at cargo. |
| Landing | A message when the flight lands, sent to you and to the person collecting your pet. |
| Arrival | A message when your pet has been collected or delivered. |
Every update comes by email. If you tick the box for text messages in the form, we also send texts. Every text tells you how to stop them: reply STOP at any time.
Safety
How we keep your pet safe
Pets only in our vehicles
Owners never ride along. The driver's only job on the trip is your pet.
On the ground: what suits your pet
Depending on the pet, they ride in their carrier, in a crate, or loose in the vehicle. Cats are safest in a carrier. We agree it with you before the trip.
In the air: always an airline crate
Every pet that flies travels in an airline approved crate that fits them, with bedding, water and labels.
Weather and breed rules
Air Canada rebooks pets when it is 29.5°C or hotter on the trip, and WestJet may refuse snub-nosed breeds in hot weather. We check before we book. See snub-nosed breeds and flying.
What we need from you
- Your pet's real weight and measurements. If they turn out different, the crate and the price can change.
- Breed, age and any health issues, including recent surgery or sedation.
- The health certificate, when the airline needs one, and your pet's vet records.
- If someone you choose is collecting your pet at the other end, their name and phone number.
- A collar with an ID tag, and a leash for the walk to the car.
- Time for your pet to get used to the crate before the flight.
Birds, reptiles and other pets that are sensitive to temperature get a custom quote. Ask us first.
Questions people ask
How far ahead should I book a pet move?
Can I fly on a different day from my pet?
Do I need to be home for the pickup?
What happens if the flight is cancelled or the airline will not take my pet?
Can I follow my pet's trip?
More answers on the FAQ page.
Want us to handle it?
Tell us where your pet is going. On most routes you see your price on screen right after you enter your contact details.