Booking pet transport services for your animal companion’s travel or permanent relocation can be a difficult proposition. You’ll have to choose a company whose hiring practices and shipping options provide you with peace of mind that your pet will be safe in transit.
We’ve reviewed several of the best relocation services for furry friends, including domestic and international air and ground transport options. After thorough research, our top pet shipping companies are Happy Trails Travel Inc. and Blue Collar Pet Transport.
Happy Trails lists cat and dog transport prices online for transparency and easier budgeting, and Blue Collar offers top-of-the-line pet shipping services that include regular exercise with certified handlers.
We vetted each pet shipping company’s coverage area, customer reviews and shipping options to ensure its services were up to par. After all, your beloved pets are family members; they deserve the best relocation experience available.
Best moving companies
Let moving pros handle the heavy lifting while you get your pet ready for their journey. We recommend the following top national moving companies to assist you with a long-distance relocation.
- Allied Van Lines
- North American Van Lines
- JK Moving Services
- International Van Lines
- Mayflower
- United Van Lines
Compare top choices for moving companies
See how our top national moving companies compare on deposit requirements and our proprietary review score.
Best pet shipping companies
We’ve listed the best pet shipping companies offering a range of transportation options here.
How do you choose a pet shipping company?
Before getting quotes for pet shipping services, take the following steps to ensure your pet’s experience is as safe and comfortable as possible.
Determine the transport type you need
While most pet relocation providers offer ground shipping, some provide air transport and international shipping options. You may need to secure veterinary paperwork certifying your pet’s vaccination and health status for these services. Furthermore, some pet shipping companies have limited domestic reaches, so you may have difficulties relocating your pet to Alaska or Hawaii.
Finally, some pet moving companies have breed restrictions. If you own a dog from a stereotypically aggressive breed, such as an Alaskan malamute, American pit bull terrier, rottweiler or German shepherd, you may have more limited options.
Confirm the pet shippers are certified
USDA recognition is the primary certification that any pet shipper should have. This is the foremost animal-related regulatory agency. USDA certification and oversight mandates that all pets transported must have up-to-date health certificates, including a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection that ensures vaccination status and overall well-being.
In addition, look for companies registered with the International Pet and Animal Transport Association. This nonprofit works to ensure the safe and humane transportation of pets domestically and internationally and maintains standards for associated carriers.
Consider the cost and get multiple quotes
Get quotes from multiple pet shipping providers before choosing one. Just as providers offer varied service ranges, they will also bill you at slightly different rates. All pet transportation companies will provide you with free, no-obligation quotes, so it’s worth getting more than one estimate.
Read customer reviews
Reading client testimonials is the best way to vet a relocation option for your furry family member. Quality pet relocation service providers will cater to your pet needs while fully securing their safety while in transit. This will be reflected by good feedback through Google Reviews, Trustpilot, Yelp, the Better Business Bureau and social media sites, such as Reddit.
Final take: Book a pet shipping company that prioritizes safety features and offers a range of service options
While price is certainly a consideration when booking pet transportation services, your pet’s safety and comfort will take center stage in your decision-making process.
We recommend starting the quote-gathering phase with Blue Collar Pet Transport and Happy Tails Pet Transport. Both offer ground and air pet shipping services nationwide and receive mainly positive customer reviews attesting to quality service.
Like with moving companies, we recommend getting at least three quotes to find the best pricing and service package available.
Our rating methodology for moving companies
Our moving recommendations are all backed by our detailed rating methodology. To fairly assess both interstate and local movers, we have tailored two sets of review standards for long-distance and intrastate movers.
Both sets of review standards assess factors including reputation and customer satisfaction, availability and range, services offered, pricing and quote practices and customer service. We rate each moving company out of 100 possible points. We then divide the final score by 20 to obtain the 5-star rating we feature in our reviews.
Google Reviews, Yelp and Trustpilot scores are accurate as of May 2024.
Editorial note: The name “Homefront” refers to the alliance between USA TODAY and Home Solutions that publishes review, comparison, and informational articles designed to help USA TODAY readers make smarter purchasing and investment decisions about their home. Under the alliance, Homefront provides and publishes research and articles about home service and home improvement topics.
Homefront has an affiliate disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Homefront editorial staff alone (see About Homefront). Homefront adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
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