Protocols and What You Can Expect

The first thing we need is; your full name and flight confirmation number with flight details so we can call the airline and pay for the space for the dog to travel on the plane.

The airlines we use are Westjet and Air Transat! We can get dogs placements in most Canadian cities, so email us before you come down, to ensure we can have all arrangements made!

Air Transat: Flies our rescues for FREE and to get a waiver, we need your information 7 days in advance to be able to secure the spots for the dogs!
Westjet: Can be as late as 24 hours in advance, but of course…. We don’t want to wait that long. There is a lot of coordinating that goes on Canadian side and Mexico side and 24 hours is pushing it.

Cancun Side

A volunteer will meet you at the airport 2 hours in advance to departure at the line up for your airline.
They will help get you checked in at the counter, provide you with all the necessary documentation for Canadian customs and tell you the protocols for going through Canadian customs.
The volunteer will stay with you and the dog until it’s time for boarding. Usually there is a 30 to 45 minute gap and the volunteer will take the dog outside for a walk, let them do their “duty” and give them some water before they are boarded. You can either go with them if you please, or go through security and wait to board your plane! The volunteer will take the dog through mexican customs and ensure they get on the plane. The dogs flying in baggage are last loaded, and first taken off, so they are on the plane as minimal time as possible and ALL baggage compartments ARE temperature controlled so you don’t need to worry!
For carry on sized animals, we do ask if you can spend a few minutes outside with the volunteer to ensure the dog has had its last potty break and then you can head through security with the dog.
At security, you need to take the little pooch out of the bag so the bag can be put through the xray and you walk through with the pooch in your arms through the scanner.
While on the plane, the dog must remain in its bag under your seat. 99% of the time the dogs are quite tired from their jaunt outside and the excitement of all the new people at the airport and will sleep the entire flight. In your bag, you will have an extra pee pad and paper towel just incase!

We send our dogs rescue claimed. Meaning you will have the proper import paper, a permission letter from the receiving rescue that you can act as agent, the health certificate and a letter of the “value” of the dog for tax purposes.

A flight parent can take as many dogs as the plane has space for OR how ever many you are willing to help escort! We don’t judge! Even ONE helps grandly!

At Canadian Customs

There is a fee which is sometimes waived. The fees are:

$30 inspection for the first dog, $5 for every dog after that and HST of $2-$3 per dog. If you get charged that fee, please save the receipt, and those funds will be electronically reimbursed to you within 24 to 48 hours, if not immediately outside in arrivals.

You will have the contact number of the person who is picking up the dogs on Canadian side and they will be there waiting to receive the dogs when you come out!

It really is an EASY thing to do and probably takes longer for you to read this, than it takes to happen! Haha!

ALL of our animals are 100% fully vetted before they are cleared to leave.

This includes:

spay or neutered
fully dewormed
tested for any diseases and treated (like heartworm for example)
FULLY vaccinated
health issues they came in with are fully treated here and given all necessary preventative medicines to keep them healthy and clear while they wait for a flight parent!