Pet Travel Expert

Hi there, My queston has a few parts as I have been finding a lot of out of date information relating to international pet travel. I am a Canadian living in Lima Peru unitl December at which point we will be moving to Washington DC. We have an 8week old Rhodesian Ridgeback that we need to bring from Canada to Lima.

Unfortunately the only airline we know of that flys direct between Toronto and Lima is Air Canada and they don't allow pets as carry on baggage anymore. I don't feel comfortable putting my puppy in cargo or as checked baggage at this young age, which means I would need to fly through the US so that I can have it in the cabin with me.  What is your recommendation for transporting a puppy of this age such a far distance? Is it traumatic for the pets to be put into cargo? Are there any regulations we need to be aware of for connections from Canada in the US and then into Lima? What kind of regulations do we need to be aware of when brining our dog from Lima to the USA after? Any help you could give us would be greatly appreciated. Cheers, Petra

Thanks for submitting this to Ask Our Expets, Petra.  You bring up some good questions, which I am going to try to address individually as best I can.

What is your recommendation for transporting a puppy of this age such a far distance?  We typically advise against non-essential pet travel for puppies, particularly dog air travel internationally.  They are more susceptible to disease like parvo and kennel cough at younger ages, and traveling can be difficult for them. It's quite similar to traveling with a young baby, actually!  That being said, most pet friendly airlines will accept pets over 8 weeks of age.  Ultimately, it is between you and your puppy's veterinarian as to whether he should travel.

Is it traumatic for the pets to be put into cargo? Pet cargo holds are quite safe, as long as you are working with pet friendly airlines.  I'd encourage you to do some research on the airline you plan on putting your dog on, and ask them the important questions: Do you keep pets in climate control, Is the pet cargo area pressurized, Where will my pet be kept during layovers and while waiting for the flight?  Check out our recent post:  Pet Friendly Airlines Mean First Class for Fido for more.  Another great thing you can do to help lower the stress on your pet is get him used to his pet travel crate.  We have a series of pet travel videos that discuss how to purchase the right size, airline approved travel crate as well as how to crate train your pet for travel.

Are there any regulations we need to be aware of for connections from Canada in the US and then into Lima?  If you are traveling from Canada to the US, and plan on switching airlines or spending a few days in the US, your pet will technically be considered an importation to the US.  You would then need to get the appropriate US export documentation to leave for Peru.  However, if you are merely having a layover in the US and your pet is just switching planes (not airlines) then you will just be transiting, and will not have to do anything additional.  Of course, you will still need to fulfill the Peru Pet Import Requirements, which you can find here.

What kind of regulations do we need to be aware of when bringing our dog from Lima to the USA after?  It should be quite simple for you to bring your dog back into the US from Lima.  Moving pets to the United States is one of the easiest countries to move to!  The US simply requires that your pet be current on its rabies vaccination.  There is no quarantine for pets coming into the US from any country, unless you are planning on going into Hawaii (which is rabies-free and has quarantine requirements).  You can check out our US Pet Import Rules & Requirements page for more detailed info, and a state-by-state breakdown.

I hope this helps, Petra!  Happy pet moving!