International pet travel - How to move dogs from Moscow to Vancouver
Number of Pets: 2
Pet Type: dog
Pet Breed: German Shepherd, mongrel
From: Moscow, Russia
To: Vancouver, Canada
I have two large dogs, one of which is a 12-year old German Shepherd. He's in good health, but the vet says shipping him in the luggage compartment of the plane will pose certain health risks. Is there a way of bringing him to the cabin with me? https://www.petfriendlytravel.com/airtravel says charters often allow large dogs on board, but I wasn't able to find any Russian charter airlines that actually do. Driving the dogs to Europe by car and then flying them to Canada is another option, but I can't find any dog friendly carriers operating in Europe either. any suggestions? -J.K.
Thanks for your inquiry!
Your best bet will be to fly with your pets in the cargo area of the plane (which is temperature-controlled) with a pet friendly airline. We often use KLM or Lufthansa airlines for international pet flights. Check with these airlines to see if they offer the routes you're looking for and take a look at the Pet Import Requirements for Canada to make sure you're taking care of all the necessary paperwork.
We also invite you to contact one of our Pet Relocation Specialists if you're interested in finding out more about our services, and feel free to connect with our Facebook community as well. Lots of people have safely traveled with their pets, and many of them are happy to share their experiences and offer advice.
Good luck with everything and happy traveling!