For all your pet transportation needs...

The process here in the UK.

You have made your mind up about leaving the UK. We cannot help you with where you want to go to but we can help you in moving the more helpless member of your family. Your pet(s).

Most animals can be shipped by Air (just look at Shamu the whale who had his own flight when he travelled to Alaska!). Now whales are not the normal pet to be moved by air but most dogs, cats, rabbits etc can be moved from one country to another without too many problems. There are exceptions to this with certain breeds being banned due to one thing or another. We can help you with regards to these breeds as we have access to the airline regulations. This advises which breeds might be a potential problem.

A very good start is to know which container your pet would require. There are a number of different designs out there on the market (most of which are acceptable for use on board an aircraft, but some of which are banned). We can help out on this by either advising which container you should be looking out for, or putting you in touch with a company who stock suitable containers. Prices for these vary due to the sizes required. One way to keep the costs down for you is by sourcing your own container. As long as the container is on the approved list from IATA you should be alright.

So, you have already decided where you are going and hopefully when. Once you let us know the container type you need sending, as well as some other details about your pet, we can get cracking on working out the price for you.

Not all Airlines carry cargo. We know which airlines will and more importantly which airlines will not accept live animals. With a combined knowledge of over 37 years between them, Roger and Darren know the airlines that offer the best options for local departures from the UK and which routes to use (and more importantly, which routes to avoid).

When it comes to the documentation side of things, there are two options open to you. The first option is that we arrange what is required. This would mean a whole host of questions being answered by you to allow us to complete the forms that may be required. The other option is that you raise your own paperwork. This has two advantages, the first is that you avoid all the questions from us, and the second is that it is cheaper to you. We can advise who you should speak to regarding the paperwork side of things. Your new best friend on this will be your Vet. If they cannot help we have details for various organisations (upto and including Embassies) who would be able to offer assistance to you.

We can organise a collection from your door to the airport for your pet. This isn’t as expensive as you’d think. Dependant on how many people (and animals) are being transported this option may help you out (avoiding the parking fees at the airport for instance / knowing exactly which part of the airport your pet has to be delivered to etc). We would always suggest asking for a price on this option as there is the advantage that your pet will see you right upto the point where the airline take control of them prior to your flight. This calms both the animals (and owners) down for the journey.

Now you may have been told (by other forwarding agents) that your pet has to be kennelled prior to travelling. Whilst this may seem to be a good thing, all it does is increase the cost to you. We would not recommend kennelling unless it is required by either the airline or the destination country. The journey is stressful enough (for both you and your pet) without having to arrange something that is not needed. If kennelling is required during the journey (at a transit stop for example) we can arrange this on your behalf. This would be organised through the airline using their facilities (which would all be licensed and approved for use). This is the only kennelling we would arrange for your shipment (normally because of a next day connection to the destination or a compulsory break due to the number of hours the shipment has been travelling for).

The Process

1. Get your price

Now you know where and when you are going, give us a call so we can sort out a price for you. The more information you can give us, the more accurate a price we can give you.

2. Book your space

If you have a certain airline / flight you want to use please let us know. It could be that they do not accept live animals, we can check this out for you. We can book for a particular flight or offer options (whichever works out better for you).

3. Raising paperwork

We offer two options for this. Either you raise the paperwork for the shipment (pet passports / permits etc) which works out cheaper for you in the long run, or, we raise the application forms for you to sign (we charge for this, dependent on what is required). Most (if not all) of our clients will raise their own paperwork because they have more control.

4. The Container

You will need to buy a container (we do not know anyone who rents them out). As long as the container is approved by IATA and is a suitable size for your pet it should be accepted. Take into consideration that it will need to fit through the aircraft door.

Everything you wanted to know about moving your pets (but were afraid to ask), also known as the truth about certain rumours you may have heard from other companies.

1. You must kennel your pet for 24 hours prior to the flight.

We are not aware of any regulations about this. All of our clients have delivered their pets into the Airline on the day of the flight without any issues.

2. You can only fly from London Heathrow / Manchester / London Gatwick.

Not true. You can fly your pet from most regional airports including Birmingham / East Midlands / Doncaster / Cardiff etc. There are restrictions on bringing animals into the UK but when you are sending them out of the UK these restrictions do not apply. Roger and Darren have been moving pets between them for over 37 years without any issues using regional airports.

3. You must sedate a nervous animal.

Under no circumstances should this be done for a household pet. Using a sedative will drop an animals heart rate which is obviously not recommended. Airlines will not accept any animal which has been sedated (unless you are moving livestock e.g. horses etc where normally an escort / groom would accompany the shipment).

4. I can put toys / leads / extra bedding in the container.

No you cannot. Only under exceptional circumstances would this be allowed. Anything left in the container can be a risk during the flight. Don't forget there is no way to access the container during the flight.