YOW to YYZ
Ottawa to Toronto Pet Relocation
We move dogs and cats from Ottawa to Toronto by air on WestJet Cargo and Air Canada Cargo flights, or door to door by road. We handle the crate, the paperwork and the pickup, and you choose what suits your pet.
Bringing your pet home to Toronto
You have two options. By air, your pet flies on its own as airline cargo: about 1 hour 10 minutes in the air, plus check-in and pickup at the cargo offices. By road, we drive your pet door to door in about 4.5 to 5 hours.
You can fly on the same day or on a different day from your pet. Some owners fly first and send their pet a day or two later, so the new home is ready. You or someone you trust drops your pet off at YOW cargo, and we look after everything in Toronto.
We choose the flight and the timing that are easiest on your pet. Every booking depends on airline space, the time of year and the breed rules, so we confirm the flight with the airline before anything is final.
Quick facts
- Airports
- Ottawa YOW to Toronto YYZ
- Airlines
- WestJet Cargo and Air Canada Cargo
- Flight time
- About 1 hour 10 minutes (scheduled)
- Check-in
- At YOW cargo, about 3 hours before the flight
- Pickup
- About 1.5 hours after landing on WestJet, about 3 hours on Air Canada
- By road
- About 4.5 to 5 hours, door to door
- December
- Holiday embargo by air, very limited space
- Taxes
- Plus applicable taxes, based on where the move ends
Your price
What your Ottawa to Toronto price includes
Your price depends on your pet's size (it sets the crate size, and the airline charges by crate size or weight), your address in the Toronto area, and the extras you choose. Fill in the form and you see your exact price in about three minutes, plus applicable taxes, with a list of what is included.
Included
- Pickup at Pearson cargo when your pet lands
- Delivery to your new home in Toronto or the GTA
- Airline cargo booking, with all airline fees
- Flight tracking and updates until your pet is home
Extras
- Airline crate in the right size, ready to fly
- More than one pet: each pet flies in its own crate unless two small pets can share
Step by step
How it works on this route
- 1
Get your price
Fill in the form with your pet's size and your dates, and you see your exact price in about three minutes.
- 2
Crate
We confirm the crate size. Use your own airline crate, or ask us about getting one to you in Ottawa.
- 3
Flight booked
We book the cargo space to Pearson and send you the drop-off details.
- 4
Drop-off at YOW
You or someone you trust drops your pet at YOW cargo about 3 hours before the flight.
- 5
Home in Toronto
We collect your pet at Pearson cargo when they land and bring them to your new home.
Airline rules that matter on this route
- Health certificate: Air Canada needs one for every pet, WestJet for some pets. We tell you which applies and by when. See vet health certificate for flying.
- December and winter: holiday embargoes limit space in late December, and some aircraft take no pets in the coldest months. See winter and holiday embargoes.
- Breeds: snub-nosed and strong breeds have extra airline rules, and pit bull type dogs cannot travel through Pearson. See snub-nosed breeds and flying.
- Pickup on time: we collect your pet at Pearson cargo as soon as it is ready, well within the airline's 4-hour limit.
More questions? See the FAQ and our guides to WestJet pet cargo and Air Canada pet cargo.
By road
Prefer the road? We drive to Toronto too
Ottawa to Toronto is about 4.5 to 5 hours by road. We pick up your pet at the door and drive straight to the new home, on a private trip with no other pickups on the way.
No airline rules
No crate size limits, no embargo dates and no airline breed limits, so snub-nosed breeds can travel too.
Door to door
No cargo office and no waiting at the airport. Your pet arrives at the new door the same day.
Pets only
Pets ride in a carrier, a crate or loose, agreed with you. Owners travel separately.
Local guide: Ottawa
Leaving Ottawa with your pet
Weather and the best time to move
Winters are long and cold, with about 230 cm of snow a year and January nights often below minus 14°C. Summers are warm and humid, and heatwaves above 30°C are common. Fog shows up on about 23 days a year.
Late May, June and September are the easiest months, with mild days; December to March is hardest because of deep cold and snow, and July and August can bring humid heatwaves.
Dropping off at Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW)
Pets are handed in at the airline's cargo office, not at the passenger terminal. From downtown Ottawa to the airport is about 15 km, 20 to 30 minutes, so leave extra time on the day.
The drive between Ottawa and Toronto
We follow Highway 401 and Highway 416, about 450 km and roughly 4.5 to 5 hours, with at least one stop for your pet.
Getting your pet to the airport
You or someone you trust brings your pet to the cargo office at the drop-off time we give you, with the crate ready and the paperwork in hand. We send you the address, the opening hours and a checklist before the day.
Before you leave Ottawa
If your pet has a licence in Ottawa, let the licensing office know you are moving, and update the address on your pet's microchip record.
Ask your vet in Ottawa for a copy of your pet's records to bring to a new vet in Toronto. If your pet needs a health certificate for the flight, book that visit early: we tell you the date it must be done by.
One last walk? The Capital Pathway along the Rideau Canal and the Ottawa River welcomes dogs on a leash up to 2 metres long.
Dates to plan around in Ottawa
- December 1 to mid-April: Natural Greenbelt trails close to dogs for the winter. Plan winter walks at the off-leash pits or on paved pathways, which stay open to dogs.
- Late January to mid-February: Winterlude in Ottawa and Gatineau. Crowds and parking limits downtown make moving day slower near Confederation Park and the canal.
- May: Canadian Tulip Festival at Commissioners Park. Hundreds of thousands of visitors bring busy roads near Dow's Lake and the Glebe.
- July 1: Canada Day, with downtown road closures and fireworks near LeBreton Flats at 10 p.m. Streets near Parliament Hill close from early morning, and the fireworks can frighten pets.
Delivery areas in Toronto
We deliver anywhere in Toronto, including Downtown, North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, East York, York, and across the GTA: Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill. We also cover Oakville, Burlington, Milton, Caledon, King, Aurora, Newmarket, Whitchurch-Stouffville and nearby towns. The form shows the price for your address.
Settling in Toronto
- Toronto summers are hot and humid and winters bring snow and road salt. Wipe paws after winter walks.
- The City of Toronto requires a licence for dogs and cats. Mississauga, Brampton and the other GTA cities have their own rules.
- Renting in Ontario: a lease cannot ban pets, and landlords cannot charge a pet deposit. A landlord can still apply to evict if a pet causes real problems, or if condo rules ban pets.
- Book a visit with a new vet in the first few weeks and bring your pet's records.
Ottawa to Toronto: questions
How much does it cost to ship a pet from Ottawa to Toronto?
How long is the flight from Ottawa to Toronto?
Who picks up my pet in Toronto?
Can you drive my pet to Toronto instead of flying?
When is the best time to fly a pet from Ottawa?
Where do I drop off my pet at Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport?
Get your Ottawa to Toronto price
Takes about three minutes, and you see your price on screen.