There are many requirements that a pet owner must meet before traveling by air with a dog. While specific regulations will vary by airline, most airlines work with the same general rules when it comes to flying dogs.
Dogs Cannot Fly Alone
Every airline that was researched for this article has a rule against flying unaccompanied dogs from one point to another. Understand that dogs are considered to be cargo to the airline. You cant send your luggage to a city somewhere across the country without going with it (only the airline can do that insert rim shot here) and you cant send your dog. Unaccompanied dogs must be transported by a licensed and approved pet transportation company.
Clean Bill of Health
All airlines require that a dog that will be flying with you receive a full physical examination and be tested for various diseases (most commonly rabies) before theyll be allowed to fly. Usually the airline will require that the exam certificate be dated within a certain amount of time before the date of the flight, so the exam you had your dog undergo two years ago will not suffice for a flight you intend to take next week.
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