Dogs are like families as they are the man’s best friends. They love and protect us that’s why we should love them back. And wherever we go, we should bring them with us because who will leave a family behind? However, it’s not easy to bring pets especially if you’re going abroad. And here comes the problem because there’s a lot of paperwork needed and the cost for shipping your pet is not a joke. So how much does it cost to ship a dog and what are the requirements?
Requirements to Ship a Dog
Initially, you have to consider how you can ship your dog in a way it won’t get harmed and feel stressed. Would you send it through air transportation, by land or by ship? So before we talk about the average dog shipment rate, let’s do a quick look first on the necessary requirements for shipping your pet.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, if you will be traveling or want to send your dog or cat to the US or from the US to another country, animal health requirements will be needed such as vaccinations and disease testing certificates and of course some permits. After these get completed, you have to request the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to review the papers and endorse these to the company you choose that will handle the shipping. And to make sure you won’t encounter problems with your dog, you also have to consult the city vets where you’ll be living in for any requirements. In this aspect, ask your veterinarian to help you.
Average Shipment Rate
The average dog shipment rate of dogs varies to every country as well as with the company that will do the shipping. Each country also has its requirements, and you must follow these and also have to pay for the processing of the documents. But first, we have to know what would be the average shipment rate locally and internationally for dogs.
To give you a good example, we checked a website that promotes a pet air travel company. The company will offer you a package to help you avoid the headaches on arranging for your pet’s shipping. Included in the package are the airfare fee, airport transportation (airport to door delivery service), pet travel packet (crate tags, stickers, travel documents) and vet packet which include travel documents approved by a licensed vet for your pet to travel locally or internationally.
- For one pet – $350 for domestic pet shipping, $850 from the US to nearby countries, $500 from international to the US and $800 from the US to EU.
- For additional pet – $250 for domestic shipping, $650 from the US to nearby countries, $250 from international to the US, and $650 from the US to EU.
- Airfare range per pet – $300 to $875 for domestic shipping, $400 to $2,100 from the US to nearby countries, $400 to 2,100 from international to the US and $400 to $2,100 from the US to EU.
- Airport transportation – $300 to $450 + $75 for handling fee.
- Pet travel packet – around $35
- Vet packet/application – $200 to $300 for every pet.
So judging from the rates above and as we also checked with another pet air travel company’s rate, domestic shipping for a single dog could cost ranging from $350 up to $600. The $600 range would include the company assisting the owner for the necessary requirements including securing health certificates.
Through land shipping which is usually with pet vans, the cost of travel could range from $500 to $725 plus the cost of the fuel that will be spent by the van once distance exceeded 500 miles. Shipping pets by ship, this is not recommended by most vets because it could take days before the ship could arrive at its destination specifically to far away countries and this could stress out the dogs.
Factors That Affect the Shipping Cost
The issue of how much does it cost to ship a dog also depends on many factors. These factors could influence the shipping costs and could spell for additional expenses or discounts. We identify some of these.
- The size of the dog. Size is considered because a large dog will need a large crate. A large crate means a more expensive crate.
- If the dog hates to be around with other dogs, it may need an exclusive place within the shipping area to avoid creating chaos with other pets, and this could mean additional expenses.
- Dog insurance. Insurance is necessary so that if something happens to your dog, so the company will be obliged to pay its duties if ever your dog gets harmed. Dog insurance may cost $1 to $100.
- If you often travel with your dog, you will need to purchase a pet travel guide, and this is around $18.
- Pet relocation services that offer discounts. If you can book early for reservation online, you may have a discount for around $200.
- More than two pets. Some companies will offer half-price if you have multiple numbers of dogs for travel.
- Rush reservation. You may be asked to add around $200 for the rush booking especially during the holidays or special events.
The Cost to Ship a Puppy
Most people would prefer to ship puppies more than the adult dogs because a puppy requires a smaller space, easy to handle and can quickly adapt to its new environment. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people getting scammed in ordering puppies online like they are pieces of items which is not supposed to happen. If you want to buy puppies, buy it from legitimate pet shops that will also arrange the required documents for your puppy’s shipping.
So how much it would cost to ship a puppy? It depends on the company’s rate, but the standard price with puppy’s air shipping ranges from $200-$300 each. This cost may or may not include the airfare. And just like the adult dogs, puppies also need the necessary documents for them to travel, and the processing can cost around $40 to $60.
If you only have a small dog like a Chihuahua or a little puppy and can be contained in a small crate, you can ask the airline company if they allow hand-carrying small pets and putting its crate under your seat and this could be for free considering that your puppy can have the necessary documents. But if the airline won’t allow it, your puppy would be kept secured in the pet cargo and you would need to pay for the charge plus the airfare and probably the crate the airline will provide.