How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Pet from Canada to the United States?
All-inclusive, door to door, for one pet: a move from Canada to the United States runs about CAD 2,500 to 5,500. That takes in our service, the flight, the crate, the vet work and paperwork, any CFIA endorsement the route needs, arrival handling and delivery to your door. Crate size, which is what the airline charges on, sets where a move lands in the range, and a second pet costs extra.
Canada to the United States is the cheapest and simplest international move a Canadian pet owner can make.
Of the parts, the flight and the crate are the largest. No airline publishes a pet freight rate out of Canada. American Airlines Cargo publishes a transborder cargo tariff but states that it does not transport any animals outbound from Canada at all, so it is not an option on this lane unless the pet is driven to a US gateway and flown from there.
What it costs, line by line
| Cost | Amount | Who charges it |
|---|---|---|
| CDC dog import form (into the US) | Free | US CDC |
| Airline freight | Quoted per booking | Airline |
| IATA crate | Amazon.ca, read 18 September 2026, lists the Petmate Sky Kennel at CAD $188 to $674 across sizes 200, 300, 400 and 700. We size the crate at your pet’s fitting and confirm the cost before anything is booked | Retailer |
| Vet exam and health certificate, where your airline or US state asks for one | Set by your clinic | Your vet |
| Import permit | Not in the CDC’s requirements for a dog from Canada, read 13 October 2026. Hawaii sets its own entry rules, in our Hawaii guide | Not applicable |
| Quarantine | Not in the same CDC requirements | Not applicable |
| Rabies titre test | Not in the same CDC requirements | Not applicable |
CFIA’s page on dogs travelling to the United States, read 13 October 2026, sends owners to the CDC and to the US states, and says the CFIA does not play a role in state requirements. Its page on cats and ferrets, read the same day, says a Canadian licensed veterinarian issues any documents needed and that endorsement by a CFIA veterinarian is not required.
The CDC form is free and CDC says so plainly. If you see a figure quoted as a CDC fee, it belongs to somebody else.
How flight pricing works on this route
Live animal freight from Canada is priced per booking, not from a rate card. Air Canada Cargo, WestJet, Lufthansa, KLM, Air France, Emirates and Qatar all quote each shipment individually, based on crate size, route, and dates.
No US carrier publishes a pet freight rate out of Canada. American Airlines Cargo, which does publish a transborder cargo tariff, states that it does not transport any animals outbound from Canada at all, so it is not an option on this lane unless the pet is driven to a US gateway and flown from there. The exact figure for this route is set once the crate size and dates are known, which is why we price it per booking instead of printing a number that will not match your itinerary.
What we can tell you is what drives it. Airlines charge on chargeable weight, which is whichever is greater: actual weight, or a volume figure from the crate dimensions. For pets the volume figure almost always wins. Air Canada publishes the divisor at 166 cubic inches per pound. A size 400 crate works out to roughly 66 kg of chargeable weight no matter what is inside it, which is why crate size moves the price more than the dog does.
What the tables leave out
Your vet sets their own fees. The examination and the certificate paperwork are priced by your clinic and vary between practices. We handle the timing so every piece lands inside its validity window.
Ground transport at either end depends on the distance. Both are inside the all-inclusive, door to door range at the top of this page, and the quote for your pet prices each one.
What moves the price
Crate size drives the flight cost, as on every route.
Ground transport is a genuine alternative here, particularly for destinations near the border. For some moves it is cheaper and easier on the animal than flying.
Breed restrictions still apply on the airline side. See our breed restrictions guide.
Heat and cold embargoes apply across the whole route.
Figures and sources
Requirements checked 13 October 2026. Government rules change, so check the sources if you are reading this much later.
- CFIA: dogs travelling to the United States
- CFIA: export of cats and ferrets to the United States
- US CDC dog importation rules
- American Airlines Cargo tariff
Terms used here are defined in our pet relocation glossary.
Want this priced for your pet and dates?
Send us the route, the breed and roughly when you want to travel. Request a quote and we will reply with an itemized plan, a timeline and clear next steps.
For entry rules and the full paperwork timeline, see our guide to pet shipping requirements for the United States.
Last updated