Pet Transport in San Jose, CA
We provide international pet transport to and from San Jose, 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 SJC
- Door-to-door relocation
- Meeting your pet at the arrival airport
In San Jose, a pet license is issued only with proof of a current rabies vaccination.
Prefer to talk it through? Call 1-877-540-0555
San Jose at a glance
How a move from San Jose works- Flights from
- Mineta San Jose (SJC)
- Door-to-door pickup
- Roughly one to two hours’ drive of San Jose
- Airline guides
- Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta and United Airlines
- Export paperwork
- USDA endorsement through VEHCS
- Service area
- West Coast and Alaska
Pet Relocation from San Jose
San Jose sits in the heart of Silicon Valley. From Mineta San Jose (SJC), long-haul moves route through nearby San Francisco International (SFO).
How a Move from San Jose Works
San Jose moves can stop at the SJC booking or grow into a relocation that starts at your home.
Flights and check-in
We book your pet’s flights from Mineta San Jose (SJC), 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 San Jose, 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 San Jose
Coming from another state? The state’s importation FAQ, read September 23, 2026, sends owners to the county animal control office with questions about rabies vaccination after arrival. Within the city, the San José pet licensing page, read the same day, licenses pets for residents of San José, Cupertino, Milpitas and Saratoga, online, by mail or at the Animal Care Center on Monterey Road. 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 San Jose
San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) Location: San Jose, California, approximately 4 miles northwest of downtown San Jose.
Airlines that fly pets from San Jose
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 destination, timeline, and pet details to confirm feasible transport options.
Travel Plan and Timeline
A clear plan outlines routing, documentation windows, and key travel dates.
Pre-Travel Preparation
We guide preparation steps such as carriers, paperwork, and travel readiness.
Transportation Coordination
Flights, ground transport, and airport steps are coordinated according to plan.
Arrival Support
We confirm arrival procedures and next steps once your pet reaches the destination.
Our Pet Transport Services
Air Pet Shipping
Air travel planning focuses on routing, airline policies, and check-in requirements. We guide pet owners in choosing the best air routes and coordinate airport pet check-in when required and booking airline tickets.
Ground Pet Transport
Ground transport offers flexible timing for regional or long-distance moves. We plan routes and schedules that support safe, steady travel.
International Pet Transport
International moves involve layered documentation and country-specific rules. We coordinate timelines, paperwork, and airline routing to reduce last-minute issues.
Door to Door Relocation
Door-to-door service connects home pickup, airport coordination, and final delivery based on your schedule and destination rules.
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 seasonal limits, and plan the routing through San Jose (SJC) 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 San Jose
In addition to San Jose, we coordinate pet transportation throughout Santa Clara County and nearby cities such as Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Mountain View, and Palo Alto. We also support pet relocations nationwide across the United States.
Silicon Valley moves are part of our West Coast and Alaska service area, which takes in San Francisco and Sacramento.
Helpful reads by Pet Travel Advisors
Ready to start?
Book the whole move, or only the parts you need.
What to Expect When Shipping a Pet Through San Jose Airport (SJC)
Who actually handles your pet at SJC
Mercury runs the cargo warehouse at 1521 Airport Boulevard, Suite 6, 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, 5:00am to 3:30pm, and the counter is closed 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.
Animal Handling Facilities
The airport provides climate-controlled environments for pets traveling in cargo during transit or layovers.
Questions about moving a pet to or from San Jose
Request a QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
When should I plan a pet move from San Jose?
San Jose’s departures are timed for each move on the weather, the season and airline availability, and we watch the forecast at both ends of the route.
Do you help with crates and carriers for San Jose pets?
Yes. The crate is one of the most important parts of a safe flight, so we size it to your pet and to the airline’s rules, which set the dimensions, ventilation, and labeling a carrier will accept. For San Jose pets we confirm the crate well before travel so there are no surprises at San Jose.
Will my pet have layovers flying from San Jose?
Where we can, we plan San Jose moves with the fewest connections, because a direct flight is shorter and calmer for your pet. When a layover is unavoidable, we choose connections with enough time and the right conditions, routing through San Jose or a nearby hub to keep the total trip as short as possible.
How do you price a pet move from San Jose?
Every San Jose 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.