Going by air: Travelling abroad with your assistance dog

Printer friendly page | Planning ahead | Sources of information | Airline assistance | Travelling abroad with your assistance dog | Insurance | Getting to and from the airport | At the airport | Boarding the aircraft | On the aircraft | Aircraft seating | Aircraft toilets | Taking equipment with you | Help with costs

It may be possible for you to take you Guide, Hearing or Assistance Dog with you, depending on the on the airline you wish to fly with and the country you wish to visit.

Assistance Dogs are carried under the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) or Pet Passport scheme as it is commonly called. The scheme is run by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Before you travel you will need to make sure that you have all the papers to prove that your dogs has had all the necessary injections and vaccinations. The PETS scheme is very strict and entry requirements for different countries can change daily basis, so it is important that you check thoroughly before you travel. As well as your vet or relevant training organisation, you should check the PETS section of the Defra website at: www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/index.htm. For example, you can not take meat based dog food into the USA and some other countries, and this may soon be extended to include all dog food.

If the airline will accept your guide dog, it may be permitted to travel in the cabin at your feet, including now on some long-haul flights, otherwise it will have to travel in a special crate in the aircraft hold. You may have to pay extra for this. You can find out more information about travelling abroad with your Assistance Dog by visiting the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association website at: www.guidedogs.org.uk/index.php?id=1605 (home page: www.guidedogs.org.uk). Guide Dogs for the Blind Association have produced two helpful publications: "Policy for the Carriage of Guide Dogs and other Assistance Dogs by UK Airlines" and "Preparation of UK Guide Dogs and Other Assistance Dogs for International Travel", the latter of which can be downloaded from their website, and information is also available in DPTAC's publication 'Access to air travel'.