YYZ to YOW
Toronto to Ottawa Pet Relocation
We move dogs and cats from Toronto to Ottawa 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 Ottawa
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. We look after everything in Toronto, and you choose who collects your pet at the airline's cargo office in Ottawa.
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 Ottawa YOW
- Airlines
- WestJet Cargo and Air Canada Cargo
- Flight time
- About 1 hour 10 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 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 Toronto to Ottawa 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 Ottawa
The person you choose collects your pet at the airline's cargo office at YOW. 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 Ottawa too
Toronto to Ottawa 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
Moving to Ottawa with a 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.
Arriving at Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW)
Pets are collected at the airline's cargo office, not at the passenger terminal. From the airport to downtown Ottawa is about 15 km, 20 to 30 minutes.
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.
Pet licence and local rules
The City of Ottawa requires every cat and dog to be registered, with the registration renewed every year. The numbered City tag should be worn on the pet's collar or harness.
- City parks are signed as Dogs Allowed (off leash), Dogs on Leash, or No Dogs, so check the sign at each park.
- On National Capital Commission land you can bring no more than two pets at a time, and pets are not allowed on beaches or the Rideau Canal Skateway.
- OC Transpo buses and trains allow small pets only, and they must stay in a carrier the whole trip.
Where to walk your dog
Off-leash areas include Bruce Pit (Nepean, in the Greenbelt, fenced, year round), Conroy Pit (south end, in the Greenbelt, year round), Hampton Park (west end, National Capital Commission off-leash area) and Stanley Avenue Park (New Edinburgh, National Capital Commission off-leash area). Check the posted rules before you let your dog off leash.
The Capital Pathway along the Rideau Canal and the Ottawa River welcomes dogs on a leash up to 2 metres long.
Dates to know 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.
Renting with a pet in Ontario
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.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check your lease, and contact the Landlord and Tenant Board if you are unsure.
Where we deliver by road
Homes across Ottawa and nearby, including Centretown, The Glebe, Westboro, Hintonburg, Old Ottawa South, Kanata, Orléans, Barrhaven.
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 Ottawa
- 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 Ottawa: questions
How much does it cost to ship a pet from Toronto to Ottawa?
How long is the flight from Toronto to Ottawa?
Who picks up my pet in Ottawa?
Can you drive my pet to Ottawa instead of flying?
Do I need to register my cat or dog in Ottawa?
Where can my dog run off leash in Ottawa?
Is Canada Day a bad day to move into downtown Ottawa?
Get your Toronto to Ottawa price
Takes about three minutes, and you see your price on screen.