Flying with a dog is not a question of whether it is permitted. A private jet can carry a dog in the cabin, in the hold, or in a proper pet crate, and the operator will handle the logistics.

It is a question of whether the paperwork will be finished by the time the wheels stop. And the paperwork has a clock, and it runs backwards from the landing date, and in some cases it runs back four months.

The rules below are the United States and Great Britain rules, because those are the routes out of New York that this office actually arranges.

The American rules, and where they live

Everything is in 42 CFR 71.51, the CDC’s “Dogs and cats” section of the Public Health Service regulations. It is longer than anyone expects and it is worth reading the version that applies to your dog’s itinerary, because the answer changes with where the dog has been.

The regulation splits the world into four categories, based on DMRVV — dog-maintained rabies virus variant. The definition covers any rabies virus variant with an enzootic transmission cycle in which dogs are essential for its maintenance, including the epidemiologic situation where dogs are the only recognised reservoir.

DMRVV-free: no DMRVV present, based on internationally accepted standards.
DMRVV low-risk: the virus is limited to a localised area, with adequate surveillance and vaccination programmes, and is in a controlled status heading toward DMRVV-free status.
DMRVV high-risk: high risk of transmission, based on the presence and geographic distribution of the virus, or on low-quality rabies surveillance or vaccination programmes.
DMRVV-restricted: a country from which dog imports are prohibited or restricted.

The category is set by the countries the dog has been in during the six months before arrival in the United States, and the CDC publishes a Dog Importation Navigator that identifies the applicable category from a specific itinerary. It is worth running the itinerary through it before the aircraft is chosen, because the category is what decides the arrival airport.

Cats are simple. Dogs are not.

Under 42 CFR 71.51(b)(1), cats may arrive at and be admitted into the United States through any US airport. No blood test, no import form, no authorised-port restriction. If you are flying with a cat, the paperwork burden is a certificate of health and a vaccination record.

Dogs are where the difficulty lives.

Which airports a dog can arrive at

This is the part that has bitten people, and it is in 71.51(b):

Dogs from DMRVV low-risk or DMRVV-free countries, with documentation confirming they have been only in those countries in the last six months, may arrive through any US airport.
Dogs with a valid certification of U.S.-issued rabies vaccination may also arrive through any US airport.
Dogs that have been in a DMRVV high-risk country within the last six months, with a valid certification of foreign rabies vaccination and microchip, must arrive at a US airport with a CDC quarantine station and a CDC-registered animal care facility.
Dogs that have been in a DMRVV high-risk country within the last six months and arrive at an unauthorised airport, or arrive without the right certification, are denied admission and returned to their country of departure.

So the flight plan is not a free choice. If the dog has been in a high-risk country in the last six months, the destination airport in the United States is determined by the regulation, not by convenience.

The five requirements that apply to every dog

Age. Under 71.51(f)(1), all dogs presented for admission must be at least six months old at the time of arrival. A dog under six months is denied admission and returned. The first rabies vaccination must also have been given on or after 12 weeks (84 days) of age, and a vaccination given before that age is not accepted for a dog that has been in a high-risk country in the preceding six months.

Microchip. Under 71.51(g), all dogs must have a microchip implanted before arrival, and the chip must have been implanted on or before the date the current rabies vaccine was administered. Rabies vaccines administered before the chip is implanted are invalid. The chip number must appear on the vaccination certification and on the CDC dog import form. A dog arriving without a chip, with a chip that cannot be read, with a chip that does not match the documentation, or whose importer refuses the scan, is denied admission and returned.

The CDC dog import form. Under 71.51(h)(1), all importers of dogs must submit a complete and accurate CDC dog import form to CDC through a CDC-approved system before the dogs arrive. This applies to accompanied and unaccompanied dogs arriving by air, land or sea, whether the dog travels as cargo, as checked baggage or as hand-carried baggage.

The consequences are specific and they are severe. Under 71.51(h)(6), a receipt confirming submission must accompany all dogs departing foreign locations, and the airline must deny boarding to dogs unless the importer has presented this receipt prior to boarding. Under 71.51(h)(2), a dog arriving without the receipt may be denied admission and returned, regardless of the value of the shipment.

The form is free and it is completed online, one form per dog. You confirm the submission by email, and the receipt is emailed within about fifteen minutes. It has to be produced twice: to the airline before boarding, and to Customs and Border Protection on arrival in the United States. A receipt for a dog that has not been outside Canada, Mexico and the United States is valid for repeated entries for six months, provided the country of departure does not change; change the departure country and a new receipt is needed. The port of entry on the receipt has to match the airport the dog actually arrives at.

Inspection. Under 71.51(i)(1), all animals arriving at a US port must be inspected on arrival, and only those showing no signs of communicable disease are admitted. An animal that appears unhealthy, or was exposed to a sick animal in transit, may be confined and examined.

The bill of lading. Under 71.51(h)(7), airlines are required to create a bill of lading for all dogs arriving in the United States before the dogs arrive, unless granted a waiver.

The high-risk country path

If the dog has been in a DMRVV high-risk country within the last six months and does not hold a valid certification of U.S.-issued rabies vaccination, 71.51(k) applies, and it is the hardest path in the regulation.

All such dogs must undergo veterinary examination and revaccination against rabies at a CDC-registered animal care facility upon arrival. The importer is responsible for making all the arrangements before the dog arrives, and the costs of examination, vaccination and quarantine are borne by the importer, not at the government’s expense.

Before granting a reservation, the facility must have received the completed certification of foreign rabies vaccination and microchip form, serologic test results from a CDC-approved laboratory, photos of the dog’s teeth to assist with age verification, the travel itinerary, and the receipt confirming submission of the CDC dog import form.

The release conditions under 71.51(k)(7) are: a veterinary health examination by a USDA-accredited veterinarian; confirmation of the microchip number; confirmation of age by dental examination; vaccination against rabies with a USDA-licensed vaccine administered by a USDA-accredited veterinarian; and confirmation of adequate rabies serologic titer from a CDC-approved laboratory.

And the backstop, under 71.51(k)(7)(v): a dog that arrives without an adequate serologic test result, or with a result drawn outside the acceptable timeframe, or outside acceptable parameters, shall be housed at the CDC-registered animal care facility for a 28-day quarantine period.

The 28 days is the number to plan around. It is not a formality.

The USDA layer

There is a second agency, and it is worth knowing it exists.

Under 9 CFR 93.600, dogs from any region of the world where screwworm is considered to exist may only be imported into the United States if they meet the requirements of the section and all other applicable requirements of the part. Those dogs must be accompanied by a certificate signed by a full-time salaried veterinary official of the region of origin stating that the dog has been inspected for screwworm within five days preceding its shipment to the United States, and that the dog is either free from screwworm or was held in quarantine and treated until free from it before leaving the region of origin.

APHIS maintains the list of regions where screwworm is considered to exist, and adds a region on determining that screwworm exists there.

The British rules

Great Britain has its own regime, and it is stricter than most people expect on two specific things.

The approved route requirement. You can only use certain travel routes and companies to enter Great Britain. The GOV.UK guidance is explicit that you must check the approved routes before you travel, because they change and may only operate at certain times of the year.

Pets travel as cargo. On an aircraft, pets have to travel as cargo unless you are flying on a chartered private plane, or you are travelling with a guide or assistance dog. On a private charter, the pet travels with you.

The sequence, in order:

Microchip, before or at the same time as the rabies vaccination. If the chip goes in after, the vaccination has to be redone.
Rabies vaccination, then at least 21 full days before travel. Day 1 is the day after the vaccination.
A rabies blood test, if you are travelling from a country that is neither in the EU nor listed. The sample must be taken at least 30 days after the vaccination, sent to an EU-approved laboratory, and show a rabies antibody level of at least 0.5 IU/ml. Then you wait three months from the date the blood sample was taken before you travel. The exception: if the pet was vaccinated, blood tested and given a pet passport or Great Britain health certificate in the EU before travelling to a non-listed country, the three-month wait does not apply.
Tapeworm treatment for dogs. A vet must treat the dog no less than 24 hours and no more than 5 days (120 hours) before you enter Great Britain. The treatment must contain praziquantel or an equivalent proven effective against the Echinococcus multilocularis tapeworm. If you are delayed and arrive more than 5 days after the treatment, the dog may need a new treatment before you return.
The travel document, which depends on where you are coming from: a pet passport, an animal health certificate, or a Great Britain pet health certificate. The Great Britain pet health certificate can be used from any country, must be signed, stamped and dated by an official veterinarian, and the pet must enter within 10 days of it being issued.

The tapeworm exemption is worth noting: a dog coming directly from Finland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malta or Norway does not need tapeworm treatment.

A refused microchip means starting again. If the microchip cannot be read at the border, the pet is refused entry or quarantined, and you have to go back to the vet: rechip, revaccinate, retest.

More than five pets needs written evidence of registration for a competition, show or sporting event, a declaration, and extra rules if the animals are being rehomed, sold, or transferred in ownership.

The document, whichever country

Whichever route you are flying, the document set has the same shape, and it is worth having in one place:

Microchip certificate with the chip number
Rabies vaccination certificate, showing the date and the chip number
Rabies titre test result, where required
Health certificate or pet passport, from the right authority, in the right window
Tapeworm treatment record, where the destination requires it
The CDC dog import form receipt, for the United States
Proof of the reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility, where the route requires it
The airline’s bill of lading, which the airline creates but the importer must have made possible

And the paperwork should be in English. The rabies vaccination certificate for the United States must be issued in English by a licensed veterinarian with a valid licence to practise in the country of export.

Practical questions

Can the dog be in the cabin? On a Part 135 charter, the aircraft is yours for the flight, and the operator will have a policy. Most will allow a small dog on a seat with a carrier or in the cabin; larger dogs typically travel in a pressurised and heated cargo hold in an airline-approved crate. Ask the operator, and ask early, because it affects the crate specification and therefore the handling.

How many pets? Part 135 has a rule that bites here. Under 14 CFR 135.85(b), a person necessary for the safe handling of animals on the aircraft may be carried aboard without complying with the passenger-carrying requirements of the part. That is the provision that lets a handler fly. But the aircraft’s payload and the crew’s duty limits still apply, and under 135.267 an unscheduled two-pilot crew’s total flight time in any 24 consecutive hours may not exceed 10 hours.

What about a child and a dog? Both have rules, and they are different rules. Under 14 CFR 135.128, a child may be held by an adult who is occupying an approved seat, provided the child has not reached their second birthday and the child does not occupy or use any restraining device. A safety belt provided for the occupant of a seat may not be used by more than one person who has reached their second birthday. Older children must occupy an approved child restraint system with the right label — including the “THIS RESTRAINT IS CERTIFIED FOR USE IN MOTOR VEHICLES AND AIRCRAFT” marking — and booster-type, vest-type, harness-type and lap-held restraints are not approved for aircraft.

What if the paperwork is not ready? The dog does not travel and does not arrive. Under 71.51(h)(2) and 71.51(v), the dog is denied admission and returned to its country of departure. This is not a negotiation with the airline.

What if the flight is delayed? A delay that pushes the arrival past the window on a health certificate or a tapeworm treatment invalidates that document. For Great Britain, arriving more than 5 days after the tapeworm treatment may require a new treatment before you return.

What Jake checks

When a pet is travelling, Jake checks three things before the aircraft is confirmed.

The itinerary against the regulation. Where the animal has been in the last six months, and what that means for which US airports it may arrive at. This is the 71.51(b) analysis, and it happens before the aircraft is picked, not after.

The paperwork against the date. The chip date against the vaccine date, the certificate issue date against the arrival date, the tapeworm treatment against the 24-hour and 5-day window. A pet passport that expired in transit is a refused entry.

The airport on the other end. Whether there is a CDC-registered animal care facility at the arrival airport if the route requires one, and whether there is space. Under 71.51(k)(3) the reservation has to be confirmed before the dog boards, and if the facility is full, that is a booking failure, not an inconvenience.

The right way to do this is to work backwards from the landing date, and to start the clock on the paperwork the day the travel is confirmed rather than the day the client thinks about it.

If a pet is travelling on a specific date, call +1 (862) 485-3510 or request a quote with the animal’s species, breed, age, microchip and vaccination dates, and the countries it has been in. The clearance timeline can then be built around the aircraft rather than the other way round.

Step	Complete by	What it means
Microchip implanted	130 days before	The chip must be in place before the rabies vaccine is given. A vaccine given before the chip is invalid, and the whole course starts again.
Rabies vaccination	125 days before	At least 21 full days after the first vaccination before the pet can travel. In the UK, the wait depends on the vaccine and can be 30 days.
Rabies blood test	90 days before	Required when travelling from a country that is neither in the EU nor listed. Blood drawn at least 30 days after vaccination, then a three-month wait before travel.
Tapeworm treatment	5 days before	A dog entering Great Britain must be treated for tapeworm no less than 24 hours and no more than 5 days before arrival.
Health certificate issued	10 days before	The Great Britain pet health certificate is valid for 10 days. The US CDC dog import form must be submitted before the dog arrives.
CDC dog import form	1 day before	Submitted before the dog arrives in the United States. Without a receipt, the airline must refuse boarding.

Flying with pets on a private jet