Pet Transport in Austin, TX
We provide international pet transport to and from Austin, planned around the weather, the season and your destination’s entry rules. A move to or from another state goes by road with a partner driver or on a domestic flight.
Book the whole move, or only the parts you need.
- Airline booking
- Export and import paperwork
- Check-in at AUS
- Door-to-door relocation
- Meeting your pet at the arrival airport
Texas asks for a rabies vaccination certificate with every dog and cat 12 weeks or older entering the state.
Prefer to talk it through? Call 1-877-540-0555
Austin at a glance
How a move from Austin works- Flights from
- Austin-Bergstrom (AUS)
- Door-to-door pickup
- Roughly one to two hours’ drive of Austin
- Airline guides
- Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta and United Airlines
- Export paperwork
- USDA endorsement through VEHCS
- Service area
- Southwest
Pet Relocation from Austin
Getting a pet out of Austin-Bergstrom (AUS) comes down to Texas heat: summer temperatures reach the airline limit that keeps pets out of the hold, so we book cooler morning windows from late spring into fall. Austin-Bergstrom averages a January low of 37.7F and 33.1 nights below freezing a year, in NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 climate normals read 20 September 2026, which falls inside the 20F to 44F band where American asks for a letter of acclimation.
How a Move from Austin Works
Pick which of our pet relocation services an Austin move takes: the AUS flight booking only, or the road leg from home too.
Flights and check-in
We book your pet’s flights from Austin-Bergstrom (AUS), set the dates around the weather, the season and each airline’s rules for pets, and handle the check-in with the airline on travel day.
Door to door, when you book it
Door-to-door pet transport adds the road legs. A partner driver collects your pet from home, anywhere within roughly one to two hours’ drive of Austin, and handles the check-in personally, and we meet your pet at the arrival airport. We do not run local rides to the vet, groomer or daycare.
Paperwork for a move abroad
For a move abroad, the paperwork starts with the destination. APHIS’s export page, read September 16, 2026, says to verify your destination country’s entry requirements every time you plan to travel, and that a USDA-accredited veterinarian submits the health certificate for USDA endorsement on your behalf. APHIS calls VEHCS the fastest route to endorsement, says processing there is staffed Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Time outside federal holidays, and says there is no in-person or drop-off service. We prepare the file with you, including an import permit where the destination country asks for one, and check each document against its rules before your pet flies. Our destination guides cover the rules country by country.
Arriving
Moving a Pet to Austin
Moving to Austin from another state? The Texas health department’s pet entry page, read September 23, 2026, says the certificate has to be dated and signed by the veterinarian who gave the vaccine, and recommends keeping a pet at home until 30 days have passed if its first vaccination was given less than 30 days before arrival. It also says local ordinances may be stricter than state law, and points new residents to a veterinarian in their area. A dog coming from another country also has to meet CDC’s entry rules, which our guide to the CDC dog import form sets out.
How the service works from start to finish is on our pet transport services page.
Flying a Pet Out of Austin
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
Location: Approximately 5 miles southeast of downtown Austin.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) serves as the primary departure and arrival point in Central Texas.
Airlines that fly pets from Austin
Each airline named on this page publishes its own rules for animals. Our guides set out what each one says:
Alaska Airlines: cabin fees, carrier rules and its seasonal embargoes.
American Airlines: cabin, cargo and PetEmbark.
Delta: cabin rules, fees and who it ships pets for.
United Airlines: what it publishes for dogs and cats.
How Our Pet Transport Process Works
Consultation
A consultation reviews your pet’s details, destination requirements, and preferred schedule.
Travel Plan and Timeline
A step-by-step plan outlines routing, documentation milestones, and travel windows.
Pre-Travel Preparation
Preparation includes crate standards, veterinary paperwork, and readiness checks.
Transportation Coordination
Flights, ground transport, and airport procedures are coordinated according to plan.
Arrival Support
Arrival guidance confirms next steps once your pet reaches the destination.
Our Pet Transport Services
Air Pet Shipping
We plan air routes, confirm airline requirements, and coordinate airport pet check-in when required. Timing, crate specifications, and documentation are reviewed before booking.
Ground Pet Transport
Ground transport is arranged for shorter distances or when air travel is not suitable. Routes, rest stops, and scheduling are planned carefully.
International Pet Transport
International relocation planning includes permits, veterinary documentation, and country-specific timelines.
Door to Door Relocation
Door-to-door relocation planning connects ground and air segments into one coordinated schedule. We manage routing, transitions, and arrival timing.
Types of Pets We Transport
Dog Transportation
Dogs are the moves we plan most often. We match the crate to your dog’s size, book around airline rules and summer heat limits, and plan the routing through Austin (AUS) so nothing turns into a last-minute scramble on travel day.
Cat Transportation
Cats travel best when the day stays calm and the waiting is short. We choose airline-approved carriers, sort out the cabin-or-cargo question early, and plan the schedule so your cat spends as little time at the airport as possible.
Bird Transportation
Birds need a little more care: species-specific paperwork, airline approval, and travel that holds a steady temperature. We walk you through the health certificates and routing so nothing slips through the cracks.
Small Mammals
Rabbits, guinea pigs, and other small pets travel in approved carriers on carefully timed routes. We confirm that the airline will accept your pet well before the date, so there are no surprises.
Reptiles and Exotic Pets
Reptiles and exotic pets each come with their own rules. We review the airline policies and temperature requirements one by one and build a route that genuinely suits your animal, not a one-size-fits-all plan.
Our Service Areas Near Austin
We provide pet transportation services throughout Austin and nearby areas including Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Georgetown, and surrounding Central Texas communities.
In addition, we operate nationwide and coordinate pet relocations across the United States and internationally.
Central Texas is part of our Southwest service area, shared with San Antonio and Dallas.
Ready to start?
Book the whole move, or only the parts you need.
What to Expect When Shipping a Pet Through Austin-Bergstrom Airport (AUS)
Who actually handles your pet at AUS
Air General runs the cargo warehouse at 3400 Spirit of Texas Drive, and that is where a pet booked on Alaska Air Cargo Pet Connect is dropped off and collected. Drop-off and collection run Monday to Friday, 6:00am to 6:00pm, and 6:00am to 2:00pm at weekends. American Airlines Cargo is the other option here, through its PetEmbark service. Delta ships pets only for active US military and State Department Foreign Service personnel with permanent change of station orders. United publishes its own policy on its pets page.
Customs and Animal Reception
For international flights, AUS has customs facilities that manage animal arrivals and departures, coordinating with local authorities to ensure pets meet health and documentation requirements.
Temperature limits and ground handling
Airlines decide whether a pet flies, not the airport. American transports warm-blooded animals when ground temperatures are between 45F and 85F. Below that it requires a letter of acclimation signed and dated by a licensed veterinarian, which covers 20F to 44F, and it will not carry an animal at all below 20F. Alaska Air Cargo says many of its stations have seasonal temperature embargoes for animal shipments over a summer season that generally runs from May 1 to October 16. Between drop-off and loading your pet waits in the cargo handler building rather than a dedicated animal terminal, so the acceptance window and the handler opening hours are what a travel date has to be built around.
Questions about moving a pet to or from Austin
Request a QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
How does Austin’s summer heat affect pet flights?
Austin summers are the biggest factor in timing a pet’s flight. Through the hottest months, ramp temperatures often climb past the limits airlines set for animals in cargo. American will not carry a warm-blooded animal when the ground temperature is above 85F at the origin, connection or destination city. Alaska Air Cargo says many of its stations have seasonal temperature embargoes for animal shipments over a summer season that generally runs from May 1 to October 16. We plan Austin moves around that, booking early-morning or overnight departures from Austin-Bergstrom or shifting the window so your pet is never left waiting in the heat.
What kinds of pets do you relocate from Austin?
We coordinate travel for dogs, cats, birds, small mammals, and select reptiles or exotics from Austin, whenever airline and destination rules allow. Each species has its own requirements, and snub-nosed breeds and older pets get extra planning around routing and the heat.
What paperwork does a pet need to fly from Austin?
Pet travel runs on health paperwork, and the timing is strict; a health certificate from a USDA-accredited vet is usually valid only for a short window before travel, and many destinations add their own steps. We map the vet visits and paperwork for your Austin move so nothing expires at the wrong moment.
What does pet transportation from Austin cost?
Every Austin move is priced on its own, because the route, airline fees, your pet’s size and crate, the season, and the destination’s rules all change the total. Tell us where and when, and we’ll put together an estimate: request a quote. For a closer look at what drives the price, see our guide to pet shipping costs.