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Sean Donnelly is a writer for USA TODAY Homefront. His content draws on more than three years of experience in the moving industry. He started as a laborer and was quickly promoted to moving crew leader. Sean also served as a move coordinator, where he conducted in-home and virtual estimates for customers. During his time in the industry, Sean assisted more than 500 clients with their relocation needs. Thanks to his years of hand-on experience, he understands all aspects of moving — from proper preparation to the quote process to effective packing techniques. Sean studied English literature and creative writing at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and is still located in the greater Springfield area. When he isn’t writing, Sean is a cohead coach of the boxing team at his alma mater.
Booking pet transport services for your animal companion’s travel or permanent relocation can be a difficult proposition. You’ll have to choose a company whose hiring practices and shipping options provide you with peace of mind that your pet will be safe in transit.
We’ve reviewed several of the best relocation services for furry friends, including domestic and international air and ground transport options. After thorough research, our top pet shipping companies are Happy Trails Travel Inc. and Blue Collar Pet Transport.
Happy Trails lists cat and dog transport prices online for transparency and easier budgeting, and Blue Collar offers top-of-the-line pet shipping services that include regular exercise with certified handlers.
We vetted each pet shipping company’s coverage area, customer reviews and shipping options to ensure its services were up to par. After all, your beloved pets are family members; they deserve the best relocation experience available.
Let moving pros handle the heavy lifting while you get your pet ready for their journey. We recommend the following top national moving companies to assist you with a long-distance relocation.
See how our top national moving companies compare on deposit requirements and our proprietary review score.
We’ve listed the best pet shipping companies offering a range of transportation options here.
Happy Tails Travel Inc. has provided domestic pet transport services since 1995. It consistently rates as one of the best pet transport service providers in the country, offering transparent pricing plus shared and private transportation options.
What we like
Prices listed online stood out to us when we reviewed this pet transportation service. This provider offers transparent rates for service, which makes budgeting easier for pet owners trying to book stress-free travel for their companions.
What we don’t like
If you own an exotic pet, then you won’t be able to book service for transportation through Happy Tails. At the moment, it only provides service for cats and dogs. In addition, it lists on its service page that all international service has been suspended until further notice.
Happy Tails provides a full range of domestic pet transportation services. This includes air travel with a dedicated “flight nanny” to give your pet one-on-one attention and care throughout the duration of the trip. Aside from this, it offers private and shared ground transport with the following support services:
All costs with Happy Tails include the following factors:
All costs for travel consultations are listed on Happy Tails’ website. The air travel fee is $425 for the first pet, and the ground travel fee is $300. Your exact cost will depend on the total distance your pet will travel.
Happy Tails offers service throughout the entire country.
This provider’s 4.6 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews through more than 100 testimonials attest to its quality when handling people’s pets. Jody’s review, which reports personalized last-minute service across state lines, is typical of positive feedback for this provider. Customers reporting negative experiences mention added fees and inflated pricing as negatives.
Relatively new to the industry, Blue Collar Pet Transport is a USDA-certified provider that has offered pet transportation services since 2019. This includes shared and private shipping options along with thoroughly vetted workers who provide quality care throughout your pet’s travel.
Blue Collar pledges to provide background-checked drivers for all pet transportation services. Once your pet is in Blue Collar’s care, its workers will provide him or her with purified water and regular exercise. Blue Collar also offers insurance coverage.
This company provides relatively few service options for transportation. It also doesn’t offer online quotes or include much pricing information online.
Blue Collar’s service options include local ground transportation within the central Florida area. Beyond this, it offers long-distance private and shared shipping options. All shipping packages come with dedicated care for each pet, including 30-minute walks and stretching periods for your furry friends at every stop.
Blue Collar doesn’t offer online quotes. It does, however, state that you’ll have to book at least a week in advance. Last-minute booking will incur a $500 convenience fee. Your cost will depend on the total shipment distance and whether you opt for private or shared transport.
You can book local pet transportation service within a small area near Blue Collar’s headquarters in central Florida. Aside from this, you can book long-distance or cross-country transportation to the rest of the nation.
Blue Collar has 4.5 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews. Positive reviews mention personalized care for air and ground travel for long-distance shipping needs. Other positive feedback mentioned consistent tracking and driver updates while in transit. Negative reviews cite overbilling as a main concern.
Royal Paws has more than 20 years of experience providing pet shipping services. Though it doesn’t offer international shipping, it specializes in door-to-door customized domestic service options.
Dedicated and customized service are highlights of Royal Paws’ offerings. All dog transportation options include two-person teams geared toward maximizing comfort for all canines it carries. It also advertises no fees or hidden costs when booking with one of its transport teams.
A lack of international options is a definite drawback. While Royal Paws’ domestic shipping options are among the best available, it lacks diversity in its service offerings.
All pets are eligible for the same service plan: private domestic transportation in one of Royal Paws’ SUVs. It offers shipping for exotic pets in addition to dogs and cats.
You’ll have to call Royal Paws and speak with a customer service representative to get pricing for any pet shipping needs. Your exact cost will depend on several factors, including shipping availability in your area, total travel distance and expedited shipping needs.
Royal Paws offers pet shipping services to all states except Hawaii and has no international pet transport options.
Royal Paws has 3.9 out of 5 stars on Yelp. Reviews like Susan B.’s mention attention to detail and specialized care for pets with medical conditions or unique needs. Negative reviews cite poor communication during the booking phase. However this company’s crews seem to communicate well once pets are in transit, according to reviews.
uShip is a national shipping broker that offers booking services for everything from full-service moves to pet relocation. While uShip doesn’t provide outright evidence that it independently vets each of its partner carriers, it does offer thousands of options for any shipping need.
uShip’s array of shipping options and customer portal make booking service easy. Clients must enter their shipment parameters when getting pricing to generate a work order. This information, including shipping distance, pets to be shipped and add-on services, such as private transportation, is visible to pet shipping providers who can then bid to handle your needs.
As a broker only, uShip assumes minimal liability for problems you may encounter during the course of your shipment. You’ll have to take up any issues with uShip’s partner carriers directly.
uShip’s partners offer shipping services for animals of all sizes, from household pets to livestock. These carriers can offer anything from group transportation to private shipping options. However, you’ll have to do your own research on a given provider before you book.
uShip lists approximate costs at around $300 to $600 for long-distance domestic pet shipping needs. However, you’ll have to go through the steps outlined above to generate your own work order and get a price. Possible deposit requirements will vary depending on the shipper you book with.
uShip partners with thousands of carriers and owner-operators across all 50 states.
uShip has 4.3 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot with more than 11,400 individual reviews. While negative reviews cite poor communication by some shipping companies, positive reviews — which are much more common — mention fair prices and on-time deliveries. We recommend reading reviews for any shipper you encounter on this platform before booking to ensure the best experience for you and your pet.
Before getting quotes for pet shipping services, take the following steps to ensure your pet’s experience is as safe and comfortable as possible.
While most pet relocation providers offer ground shipping, some provide air transport and international shipping options. You may need to secure veterinary paperwork certifying your pet’s vaccination and health status for these services. Furthermore, some pet shipping companies have limited domestic reaches, so you may have difficulties relocating your pet to Alaska or Hawaii.
Finally, some pet moving companies have breed restrictions. If you own a dog from a stereotypically aggressive breed, such as an Alaskan malamute, American pit bull terrier, rottweiler or German shepherd, you may have more limited options.
USDA recognition is the primary certification that any pet shipper should have. This is the foremost animal-related regulatory agency. USDA certification and oversight mandates that all pets transported must have up-to-date health certificates, including a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection that ensures vaccination status and overall well-being.
In addition, look for companies registered with the International Pet and Animal Transport Association. This nonprofit works to ensure the safe and humane transportation of pets domestically and internationally and maintains standards for associated carriers.
Get quotes from multiple pet shipping providers before choosing one. Just as providers offer varied service ranges, they will also bill you at slightly different rates. All pet transportation companies will provide you with free, no-obligation quotes, so it’s worth getting more than one estimate.
Reading client testimonials is the best way to vet a relocation option for your furry family member. Quality pet relocation service providers will cater to your pet needs while fully securing their safety while in transit. This will be reflected by good feedback through Google Reviews, Trustpilot, Yelp, the Better Business Bureau and social media sites, such as Reddit.
While price is certainly a consideration when booking pet transportation services, your pet’s safety and comfort will take center stage in your decision-making process.
We recommend starting the quote-gathering phase with Blue Collar Pet Transport and Happy Tails Pet Transport. Both offer ground and air pet shipping services nationwide and receive mainly positive customer reviews attesting to quality service.
Like with moving companies, we recommend getting at least three quotes to find the best pricing and service package available.
Our moving recommendations are all backed by our detailed rating methodology. To fairly assess both interstate and local movers, we have tailored two sets of review standards for long-distance and intrastate movers.
Both sets of review standards assess factors including reputation and customer satisfaction, availability and range, services offered, pricing and quote practices and customer service. We rate each moving company out of 100 possible points. We then divide the final score by 20 to obtain the 5-star rating we feature in our reviews.
Google Reviews, Yelp and Trustpilot scores are accurate as of May 2024.
Editorial note: The name “Homefront” refers to the alliance between USA TODAY and Home Solutions that publishes review, comparison, and informational articles designed to help USA TODAY readers make smarter purchasing and investment decisions about their home. Under the alliance, Homefront provides and publishes research and articles about home service and home improvement topics.
Homefront has an affiliate disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Homefront editorial staff alone (see About Homefront). Homefront adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
Veronika Jelenik is an editor for USA TODAY Homefront, where she edits articles spanning from moving and home warranty to roofing and HVAC. She has a background in journalism, having worked as a news reporter covering local government and municipal planning, a content update editor for Brides.com, and a freelance contributor to several major publications. Her pieces have been published in the New York Daily News, the Hartford Courant, PAPER Magazine and elsewhere. When not editing, you can find Veronika shopping for used books and vintage clothing, reading her poetry and creative nonfiction at open mics and cuddling with her Chihuahua, Beanie. She lives in Manhattan.
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