Travleing with pets to Canada? Make sure Fido doesn't get stuck there!

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I would like to fly with my 98 lb. Labrador from Los Angeles California to Ottawa, Canada on 8/13 and return home with her on 9/2. What are my choices, probable costs and can you be of assistance? My boyfriend already has our tickets. We leave LAX (on United) at 10:52 PM connect in Washington DC and arrive in Ottawa at 10:00 AM. When we return on 9/2 we fly out of Ottawa at 12 noon (on American) connect in Chicago and arrive in LA at 4 PM. They say there is a temp. restriction of 85 degrees and 100 lb max. Can we get around the 100 lb max. and how likely will the temp. play a factor? Any help with these questions will be much appreciated. -- Carol A., Aliso Viejo, CA

Hello Carol,

Thanks for your inquiry. There is no way around the temperature restrictions or the 100 lb. maximum if you are wanting to fly with your pet. Your alternatives are to book your pet on an alternate flight on your own or to work through a pet relocation company like PetRelocation.com to arrange the services. For a large dog this could cost anywhere from $2000-$2500 USD for our door to door services.

The other issue with booking your pet on your own is that when you want to come back into the US, you will need to work with a pet shipping agent/carrier to send him back. The TSA recently made it mandatory for pet owners entering the US to work with registered IATA agents. This has caused several people problems with their pet transportation back to the US after traveling out of the country. You're looking at the same approximate costs to get back into the US using an IATA agent.

I hope this helps you with your decision!