Pet Transport in Raleigh, NC
We provide international pet transport to and from Raleigh, 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 RDU
- Door-to-door relocation
- Meeting your pet at the arrival airport
North Carolina law requires every dog, cat and ferret to be vaccinated against rabies from four months of age.
Prefer to talk it through? Call 1-877-540-0555
Raleigh at a glance
How a move from Raleigh works- Flights from
- Raleigh-Durham (RDU)
- Door-to-door pickup
- Roughly one to two hours’ drive of Raleigh
- Airline guides
- Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta and United Airlines
- Export paperwork
- USDA endorsement through VEHCS
- Service area
- South and Islands
Pet Relocation from Raleigh
Raleigh-Durham (RDU) sits in the middle of North Carolina’s Research Triangle, and its humid subtropical climate makes summer heat the main thing to plan around. Once ground temperatures pass the airline limit, pets cannot travel in the hold, so we favor early-morning departures in the warm months. Raleigh-Durham averages 18 nights below freezing in January and 64.6 across the year, with a low that month of 31.8F, in NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 climate normals read 20 September 2026, which puts it inside the 20F to 44F band where American asks for a letter of acclimation. From RDU, the route is chosen for each move on the weather, the season and airline availability, and we book the shortest practical routing to reduce handling.
How a Move from Raleigh Works
Around Raleigh and Durham, some owners ask for only the RDU booking, and others want the move handled from the front door.
Flights and check-in
We book your pet’s flights from Raleigh-Durham (RDU), 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 Raleigh, 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 Raleigh
Coming from another state? APHIS’s interstate pet travel page, read September 16, 2026, says the receiving state or territory sets the requirements for a pet moving in, and its list of destinations includes North Carolina. Wake County’s rabies page, read September 23, 2026, cites North Carolina General Statute 130A-185 for that vaccination rule, and its animal control page, read the same day, says the City of Raleigh enforces its own local ordinance. 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 Raleigh
Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)
Location: Approximately 15 miles northwest of downtown Raleigh, North Carolina.
For more complex international travel requiring extensive layovers or specialized services, travelers may need to connect through larger hubs such as Atlanta (ATL) or Charlotte (CLT).
Airlines that fly pets from Raleigh
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
We review your pet’s details, destination requirements, and preferred travel window.
Travel Plan and Timeline
We build a route and schedule that aligns with airline policies and entry rules.
Pre-Travel Preparation
We confirm crate compliance and documentation readiness before booking.
Transportation Coordination
We coordinate routing, airline booking, and airport procedures as required.
Arrival Support
We guide you through arrival steps and post-travel considerations.
Our Pet Transport Services
Air Pet Shipping
We guide pet owners in choosing the best air routes, confirm airline requirements, and coordinate airport pet check-in when required. Timing, crate standards, and documentation are managed together.
Ground Pet Transport
Ground transport offers flexible scheduling and controlled conditions for pets traveling regionally or across states. We plan safe routes and realistic timelines.
International Pet Transport
International relocation includes documentation review, airline booking, and coordination with destination entry rules. We manage routing and timing to avoid delays.
Door to Door Relocation
Door to door service combines ground pickup, air transport, and arrival coordination. Each step stays aligned with airline policies and destination regulations.
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 Raleigh-Durham (RDU) 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 Raleigh
We provide pet transportation services throughout Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Morrisville, Wake Forest, Durham, Chapel Hill, and the greater Research Triangle region. In addition, we coordinate pet relocation nationwide and internationally.
The Triangle is in our South and Islands service area, which Charlotte is part of as well.
Ready to start?
Book the whole move, or only the parts you need.
What to Expect When Shipping a Pet Through Raleigh-Durham Airport (RDU)
Who actually handles your pet at RDU
G2 runs the cargo warehouse at 2600 John Brantley Boulevard, Morrisville, 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, 8:00am to 9:00pm. The counter is closed Saturday and Sunday, so a Raleigh pet move has to fall on a weekday.
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.
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 Raleigh
Request a QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
How does Raleigh’s summer heat affect pet flights?
Raleigh 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 Raleigh moves around that, booking early-morning or overnight departures from RDU or shifting the window so your pet is never left waiting in the heat.
What paperwork does a pet need to fly from Raleigh?
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 Raleigh move so nothing expires at the wrong moment.
What kinds of pets do you relocate from Raleigh?
We coordinate travel for dogs, cats, birds, small mammals, and select reptiles or exotics from Raleigh, 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 does pet transportation from Raleigh cost?
Every Raleigh 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.