YYZ to YUL
Toronto to Montreal Pet Relocation
We move dogs and cats from Toronto to Montreal 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.
Moving your pet to Montreal
You have two options. By air, your pet flies on its own as airline cargo: about 1 hour 15 minutes in the air, plus check-in and pickup at the cargo offices. By road, we drive your pet door to door in about 5.5 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. We look after everything in Toronto, and you choose who collects your pet at the airline's cargo office in Montreal.
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 Montreal YUL
- Airlines
- WestJet Cargo and Air Canada Cargo
- Flight time
- About 1 hour 15 minutes (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
- By road
- About 5.5 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 Toronto to Montreal 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 Montreal
The person you choose collects your pet at the airline's cargo office at YUL. 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.
By road
Prefer the road? We drive to Montreal too
Toronto to Montreal is about 5.5 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: Montreal
Moving to Montreal with a pet
Weather and the best time to move
Montreal has four clear seasons. From November to the end of March, temperatures can drop into the minus 20s, with plenty of snow. Summers are hot and humid, reaching into the 30s from June into September.
May, early June and September are the easiest months, with mild weather and no moving day rush, while the July 1 moving period and the cold of January and February are the hardest.
Arriving at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL)
Pets are collected at the airline's cargo office, not at the passenger terminal. From the airport to downtown Montreal is about 20 km, 20 to 45 minutes depending on traffic.
The drive between Montreal and Toronto
We follow Highway 401 and Autoroute 20, about 545 km and roughly 5.5 hours. We stop for water and short breaks at the 24-hour service centres along the 401 in eastern Ontario.
Pet licence and local rules
In the City of Montréal, every dog and cat needs a city licence, renewed every year, and must wear the city tag (a microchipped cat is exempt from the tag). Dogs and cats must also be spayed or neutered and microchipped, and Quebec law requires every dog to be registered with its municipality.
- In public places a dog must be on a leash no longer than 1.85 metres, and dogs of 20 kg or more must wear a harness or halter.
- A home can have at most four cats and dogs combined, and no more than three of them can be dogs.
- On city buses, pets must stay in a closed carrier, and leashed, muzzled dogs are allowed on the métro only at set times, so check the transit rules before riding.
Where to walk your dog
Off-leash areas include Parc La Fontaine dog park (Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, south of the tennis courts), Parc Sir-Wilfrid-Laurier dog park (Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, avenue Laurier Est), Parc Baldwin dog park (Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, rue Fullum, fenced) and Parc Liébert dog park (Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve). Check the posted rules before you let your dog off leash.
The Lachine Canal path welcomes dogs on a leash of 3 metres or less (Parks Canada rules), and Mount Royal Park is popular for walks, but dogs must stay on leash there at all times.
Dates to know in Montreal
- June 24: Fête nationale du Québec. The holiday brings big outdoor celebrations and fireworks, which can scare pets and slow traffic.
- July 1: Moving day. Most Quebec leases end June 30, so thousands of households move on July 1 and streets fill with moving trucks.
- Late June to early August: L'International des Feux Loto-Québec fireworks competition. Fireworks shows run on several evenings over Île Sainte-Hélène and can be heard across downtown, which is hard on noise-sensitive pets.
- November to March: Deep winter. Temperatures can reach the minus 20s with snow, so pickups and drop-offs need warm, short transfers.
Renting with a pet in Quebec
Quebec landlords can refuse pets, and a no animals clause in a lease is legal. Landlords cannot charge a pet deposit or any other deposit.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check your lease, and contact the Tribunal administratif du logement if you are unsure.
Where we deliver by road
Homes across Montreal and nearby, including Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, Mile End, Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie, Villeray, Verdun, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Griffintown, Outremont.
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 Montreal
- 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 Montreal: questions
How much does it cost to ship a pet from Toronto to Montreal?
How long is the flight from Toronto to Montreal?
Who picks up my pet in Montreal?
Can you drive my pet to Montreal instead of flying?
Does my cat need a licence in Montreal?
We are moving to Montreal around July 1. Is that a problem for a pet move?
Can my dog ride the métro in Montreal?
Get your Toronto to Montreal price
Takes about three minutes, and you see your price on screen.