Pet Transportation

All pets travel in the special livestock hold of the aircraft which is fully pressurised and heated, exactly the same conditions that cabin passengers experience.

Pets travel very well and often better than their owners! They don’t know they are flying as there is no sensation of movement and no windows to distract them. As far as the pets are concerned they are sitting in a comfortable kennel, so they quickly go to sleep. This is why they look so much better than we do after a long haul flight.

Aircraft noise is loud but it is also constant background noise. There are no sudden bangs & crashes, so pets settle down very quickly.

IATA approved travel kennels allow sufficient space for your pet to stand & turn & be comfortable; airlines will reject any kennel that is too small. It is always good not to feed your pet on the day of the flight for obvious reasons. Whilst accidents do happen the majority of pets arrive in good condition at their destination. All approved kennels have drinking facilities so your pet has water throughout the flight.

If your pet travels as “cargo”, i.e. has its own flight reservation, then you can travel whenever you like. Many clients like to travel a few days in advance so they can make the house ready for the furry family to arrive.

When travelling to North America there is no quarantine requirement for dogs & cats; there is no quarantine requirement in New Zealand if your pet travels direct from the UK. Australia has mandatory 30 day quarantine for pets arriving from the UK.

If you travel to one of the PETS passport approved countries and you have a full PETS passport, then your pet can return to the UK without quarantine. If you move outside the approved country then 6 months quarantine is mandatory on return. You should check with DEFRA for up to date regulations at www.defra.gov.uk.