Safety Tips for Flying Internationally with a Pug

Pug Air Travel Advice

Dear PetRelocation,

My husband is hoping to get a job teaching at an international school next year. However, before he thinks about looking for a job, we want to know if it will be possible to relocate our 24 lb Pug abroad?

His height, length and weight exceed all maximums for traveling in the airplane cabin, but we have heard horror stories about sending a Pug in cargo. He is extremely sensitive to heat and can easily become stressed.

Is there any way that I will be able to safely transport him abroad with us? Is there any option for getting him in an airline cabin? I would pay for him to have his own seat, but that doesn't seem like an option either.

Any guidance would be helpful. Thanks!

Thanks,
Sara
 

Hi Sara,

Thanks for your question! You definitely have a valid concern, as flying pugs is a delicate process and many airlines do not transport them (especially during the summer months). To start, we suggest that you talk honestly with your vet, research your flight options, and thinking carefully about whether or not it's worth it to proceed.

You most likely won't be able to bring him in the cabin (unless you're able to charter a private plane), but know that cargo travel is a safe option and one that we've used thousands of times.

For further guidance -- and perhaps for some encouragement -- here are a few tips for traveling with snub-nosed breeds. To plan a safe trip, it's important to choose a larger than usual travel crate and to select a pet friendly airline with established pet safe policies. We typically use United, KLM, and Lufthansa to fly our clients' pets, for example.  

Finally, we recently helped a Pug named Aggie fly to Japan and she handled the trip very well! Take a look at her story and you'll see that under the right circumstances it really is possible for Pugs to fly safely.

Hopefully this is helpful to you! Take some time to absorb this information and please contact us if you'd like to speak to a Pet Relocation Consultant about your Pug's travel options. We'd be happy to help!
 

Pet Travel Question Details:

Name: Sara
Number of Pets: 1
Pet Type: Dog
Pet Breed: Pug
From: United States
To: Asia
 

Contact PetRelocation to find out more about your safe pet transport options. 

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in April 2011 and has been updated with new information.