Airline Shipping of Dogs

(Included in shipping costs are:  crate, vet health certification and rabies shot/ certificate if the pup is over 12 weeks old, airfare, and delivery to the airport.)

Shipping costs have recently been ranging from $300 to $350.

• Discussion with prospective buyers prior to approval to purchase a pup or dog.
• Upon approval to purchase, send  payment for pup/dog: 
• We purchase an airline approved crate that fits the dog/pup that will be shipped.  The dog must be able to stand up and turn around in the crate with ease.  We also must purchase feeding and water cups for the door of the crate.
• We call the airlines and arrange for shipping.  We give them the weight of the dog and the crate in order for them to calculate the shipping cost. Heavier dogs and larger crates are more expensive.   If we can ship to a major hub, the cost and time will usually be less.  Shipping to smaller airports will normally be a little more expensive.  The various airlines charge different rates for shipping, thus rates to ship to larger hubs are usually less because we have a choice of several airlines to use. 
• We must have all buyer address and contact information to schedule a flight.  The airlines even like to have your cell numbers just in case a flight is delayed so they can let you know that you don't have to arrive as early.
•  It makes scheduling a lot easier if the buyer will give us a range of days they will be able to pick up the dog/pup at the airport.  Because shipments of live animals are limited to certain types of air craft, there aren't as many options for shipping as there are for individuals taking flights; therefore, we can't always guarantee that a dog/pup will arrive at a certain time on the buyer's end.  Flights will generally arrive with the dog/pup between 2:00 pm and 11:00  pm.  We've been known to get up at 3 am and head for the airport so that a pup can fly out before the temps rise.
• We call or email the shipping schedule along with a confirmation number to the buyer.  Online tracking of flights is available with most airlines..
•  The dog/pup must have a current health certificate (within 10 days of shipping) from a licensed veterinarian in order to be shipped.  We take the dog/pup to our vet a few days before shipping for a check up in order to get this certificate.  If a pup is older than 12 weeks, we have the vet give them a rabies shot and make the rabies certificate out to the buyer so you won't have to have that done again upon arrival.
• On the day of shipping, we tape a bag of dog food to the top of the crate in case there is a delay and the dog/pup must be fed, attach shipping labels.  and  make the journey to the airport.  We normally take the dog/pup in a wire crate in our vans and  allow them a potty break once we arrive at the airport.  After the potty break and a last sip of water, we put the pup/dog into the plastic shipping crate. The dog/pup usually has to arrive 1 1/2 to 1 hours prior to take-off of their flight.
• The dog/pup in it's crate is taken to either the airline cargo office or to the ticket counter depending upon the carrier. 
• We fill out multiple forms and bid farewell to your dog/pup.  We give the airline personnel a copy of the dog/pup's heath record and a pedigree to put in the packet of papers attached to the top of the crate. 
• The dog/puppy is taken to a climate controlled cargo area in the aircraft,  specifically designed for the comfort of live animals.  We normally get pups acclimated to sleeping in crates prior to shipping in order for the trip to not be overly stressful.  The younger the pup, the more they sleep on the trip.
• You will need to be at the pick-up airport (either at cargo or the baggage area...we'll let you know this in advance) when the pup/dog arrives.  Sometimes it takes a while to unload cargo so you may have a bit of a wait.
• Normally, dogs/pups do not soil their crates, but it's always best to arrive at the airport with a clean-up kit consisting of baby wipes and a trash bag for the soiled wipes and the soiled bedding from the shipping crate.
• If you're picking up an older pup or adult dog, you may want to bring along a collar and leash so that you can give the dog a potty break as soon as possible after the flight.

If you have other questions about the protocol for shipping dogs/pups, just give us a call.