YYZ to YYC
Toronto to Calgary Pet Relocation
We move dogs and cats from Toronto to Calgary on WestJet Cargo and Air Canada Cargo flights. We pick up your pet at home, supply the airline crate if you need one, handle the paperwork and check your pet in at Pearson.
Moving your pet to Calgary
Sending your pet on its own as airline cargo is the fastest way to get from Toronto to Calgary: about 4 to 4.5 hours in the air, instead of days in a car.
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. We look after everything in Toronto, and you choose who collects your pet at the airline's cargo office in Calgary.
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
- Toronto YYZ to Calgary YYC
- Airlines
- WestJet Cargo and Air Canada Cargo
- Flight time
- About 4 to 4.5 hours (scheduled)
- Check-in
- At YYZ cargo, about 3 hours before the flight
- Pickup
- About 1.5 hours after landing on WestJet, about 3 hours on Air Canada
- December
- Holiday embargo by air, very limited space
- Taxes
- Plus applicable taxes, based on where the move ends
Your price
What your Toronto to Calgary 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
- Home pickup anywhere in Toronto and the GTA
- Pearson cargo check-in, forms and labels
- Airline cargo booking, with all airline fees
- Flight tracking and updates for you and whoever collects your pet
Extras
- Airline crate in the right size, ready to fly
- Ride to your vet for the health check (you pay the vet directly)
- 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 and vet
We confirm the crate size and supply it if you need one. If your pet needs a health certificate, we can drive your pet to your vet (an extra).
- 3
Flight booked
We book the cargo space and send you the flight details and the air waybill number.
- 4
Pickup and check-in
On the day, we collect your pet at home and check them in at Pearson cargo about 3 hours before the flight.
- 5
Landing in Calgary
The person you choose collects your pet at the airline's cargo office at YYC. We send them the address, the opening hours and the air waybill number.
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: 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.
More questions? See the FAQ and our guides to WestJet pet cargo and Air Canada pet cargo.
Local guide: Calgary
Moving to Calgary with a pet
Weather and the best time to move
Calgary winters usually sit between minus 5 and minus 15°C, with cold snaps below minus 30°C that rarely last more than a week. Warm chinook winds can bring sudden thaws, then freezing again. June to September is hail season, so summer storms can come up fast.
Late May, June, August and September are usually easiest, with sunny and mild days, while December to February can bring deep cold snaps and icy roads.
Arriving at Calgary International Airport (YYC)
Cargo handling is in the YYC Global Logistics Park, just off Deerfoot Trail with direct access to Airport Trail NE. Pets are collected at the airline's cargo office, not at the passenger terminal. From the airport to downtown Calgary is about 17 km, 20 to 35 minutes depending on traffic.
Pet licence and local rules
Cats and dogs three months or older need a City of Calgary licence under the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw. Calgary Community Standards looks after pet licensing and the bylaw.
- Calgary is an on-leash city: dogs must be leashed unless on your own property or in a signed off-leash area.
- On pathways, leashes can be no longer than 2 metres, and pathways stay on-leash even where they cross an off-leash area.
- Dogs are not allowed in playgrounds, school grounds, sports fields, golf courses, cemeteries or wading areas.
Where to walk your dog
Off-leash areas include Nose Hill Park (northwest, large natural park), River Park (southwest, along the Elbow River) and Sue Higgins Park (southeast, on the Bow River, the city's largest fenced off-leash area). Check the posted rules before you let your dog off leash.
The pathways along the Bow and Elbow rivers are great on-leash walks, and the Glenmore Reservoir pathway is a local favourite.
Dates to know in Calgary
- July 1: Canada Day fireworks launched from Stampede Park around 11 p.m. Downtown crowds and loud fireworks late at night that can frighten pets.
- Early to mid July (10 days): Calgary Stampede, with nightly fireworks. Over a million visitors and heavy traffic near downtown.
- June to September: Hail season. Sudden hailstorms can delay trips to and from the airport and are dangerous for pets left outdoors.
- December 31: New Year's Eve celebration with fireworks. Fireworks at midnight can frighten pets.
Renting with a pet in Alberta
Alberta landlords can refuse pets or set pet rules in the lease. A refundable pet deposit counts toward the security deposit limit of one month's rent, and non-refundable pet fees are allowed if agreed.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check your lease, and contact the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service or Service Alberta if you are unsure.
Pickup areas in Toronto
We pick up 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 Calgary
- Book a visit with a new vet in the first few weeks and bring your pet's records.
- Update the address on your pet's microchip record.
- Keep your pet's routine, food and bedding the same for the first week.
Toronto to Calgary: questions
How much does it cost to ship a pet from Toronto to Calgary?
How long is the flight from Toronto to Calgary?
Who picks up my pet in Calgary?
Do cats need a licence in Calgary?
What is a chinook and does it affect pets?
Should I avoid moving my pet during the Stampede?
Get your Toronto to Calgary price
Takes about three minutes, and you see your price on screen.