We aim to transport your pet with the minimum amount of stress for you and the animal(s). This means selecting the most direct air route and keeping the time spent in the kennel to an absolute minimum.

If you are considering relocating your pet or pets from the UK to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, Cyprus, Canada, USA or for that matter anywhere else abroad then you will need to contact DEFRA on one of the numbers given on the DEFRA page. They will inform you of veterinary requirements and documentation. It is also advisable to get in touch with the embassy or consulate for the relevant country in case the regulations have recently changed. In a large number of cases a rabies vaccination is required and this must be done at least 30 days prior to the flight. It is usually helpful to have your pet up to date with inoculations irrespective of whether the country of destination requires them. If your pet needs to spend any time in a cattery or kennels then current vaccinations are a necessity. Dog will need to be vaccinated against Bordetella bronchiseptica (kennel cough) before being allowed into the kennels. If you have any doubts please contact us.

Your pet will be pleased to see you and will probably enjoy a good meal at the end of their flight. Most animals travel very well and relax throughout the flight. More than a million pets fly safely world-wide every year.

The captain will know animals are on board and will act accordingly in line with recommended procedures.

All live stock travel in the hold of the aircraft. The hold is heated (between 50 and 70 degrees F), pressurised and dark. This will keep your pet calm and most will settle down and sleep once the aircraft is in the air.

Once we are given measurements of your pet then we can build the correct size IATA (International Air Transport Association) approved air travel kennel. We will construct the kennel so that your pet has enough room to travel comfortably. Your pet will be able to lie down comfortably and also be able to sit up and turn around.

How soon will my pet be allowed off the aircraft?

While you fight with the hordes of passengers to find your bags and duty free from the overhead lockers, your pet will already be off the aircraft. The ground team at the arrival airport will know that animals are on the flight. Your pet will be their top priority and will usually be removed from the aircraft before all the passengers have disembark.

The plastic travel kennels on sale in this country do not always conform to the current requirements (some do not have the correct ventilation at the back even though they are sold as IATA approved travel kennels - when they were designed they met the regulations then in force and the regulations have since changed). They also have a tendency to deform and spring open when put under pressure so most airlines are wary of them particularly with larger animals (dogs over 25 Kg). Similarly if your pet originally arrived in this country in a kennel, this may not meet the current requirements. Your pet may also have outgrown it. In order to determine whether the size is sufficient we would need measurements of both the air kennel and the animal involved.

This is dependent on the country that you are moving to but generally the vet has to be an LVI (DEFRA approved Local Veterinary Inspector). DEFRA (Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) will inform you of a local LVI should you need assistance.

Try not to be misled and badgered into unnecessary expenditure especially if you are not intending to return to the UK. To take your pet out of the country, your pet does not need to have a pet passport. In order to use the pet passport to get your pet back to the UK without doing quarantine, a number of factors, other than whether the country is approved, have to be considered. The first is whether an airline is an approved carrier and the second is whether the route you wish to use when returning to the UK is approved. More information is provided on the DEFRA (Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) website PETS which gives all current information on quarantine and the pet travel scheme (PETS) including participating countries, routes and airlines.

Categorically No, the airlines will refuse any animal that seems to have been sedated. Aircraft are pressurised at between two thirds and three quarters of normal atmospheric pressure, this lowers the blood pressure of both humans and animals. Sedatives generally work by lowering blood pressure so the combined effect could be detrimental to the well being of your pet, you can however use alternative herbal remedies like Rescue Remedy Spray by Bach available at most vets or pet stores. Spray a few drops into your pets' drinking water or food.

For their own comfort it is advised that they are fed only lightly the day prior to travel and not fed at all on the day of the flight in order to travel as empty of food as possible. Animals are not fed during the flight but do have access to water. The airline will provide water immediately before being loaded onto the aircraft and then again at port of call.

Neither passengers nor crew has access to the cargo hold during the flight and you will not have access to your pet at any refuelling point.

No and is not advisable as the airlines feel that should the toy be swallowed your pet may choke on the item, however a familiar item of clothing or blanket is ok. Collars must also be removed before your pet is put in the travel kennel.

If you tell us what airline you are using (flight and date) then we can tell you whether it is possible.

Sometimes, however the vast majority of direct long-haul International flights depart only from London Airports. Pets can be flown from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester and Newcastle to Heathrow in order to connect with the international flight. This would usually be done on the day prior to the international flight so that your pet does not spend an excessive amount of time in the travel kennel. Please contact us for more information.

Yes.

If the transit kennel for your pet is deemed not to be sufficiently large enough it will probably be stopped.

If the heating or ventilation system in the cargo section of the plane is inoperable at the time of take off then the animals will not be allowed to fly.

If the required correctly completed veterinary documentation is not available as this may cause many problems for you and the airline at the destination airport.

If a vet or duty manager at a handling centre is concerned about your pet it will be checked and may be held back from travel. This is for the welfare of your pet.

Restrictions can also be imposed due to seasonal temperature changes in the destination airport, again this is for the welfare of your animal, as extremes of heat or cold are not good for your pet.

This will depend on the destination but for some countries it can take as long as 6 weeks to make the necessary arrangements (e.g. Australia, New Zealand, Japan). The general rule is to make contact as early as you possibly can and we will advise you of the timing of each step.