Moving to a new home is an exciting time for everyone involved, including the four-legged members of the family. Keeping your cat and dog safe during their transportation is something we at Grace take very seriously. Here are our top tips for keeping Fido and Felix safe on their journey to your new home.
National pet transportation
Travelling by car is sometimes the easiest way to transport your pets to a new neighbourhood or city in Australia. Under Australian law, pets travelling in cars need to be properly restrained. Drivers in Australia can be fined and issued demerit points if their dog is in their lap or is causing loss of control of the vehicle and if they are travelling with a dog unrestrained in the back of a ute. If a dog is injured because it was unrestrained, owners and drivers can face heavy fines and a jail sentence. The RSPCA can also issue fines under The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
International cat and dog transport
If travelling by air, it’s important to consider that not all pets are suited to travelling this way. Your pet will be confined in its container from the time of lodgement until they are collected by you at the destination. If you’re unsure how your pet will react to travelling via air, the RSPCA recommends owners consider other available modes of transport, “preferably where the animal can be supervised directly throughout the transport process.”[1]
Relocating your pet overseas is subject to the quarantine and custom laws of that particular country, including Australia. Check the Australian government’s website for more information on the permits and requirements of exporting pets out of Australia.
Consider the professionals
At Grace, we provide professional pet transportation services designed to keep your pet safe and happy during their travels. We can design an affordable transport option catered to the needs of your pet regardless of destination. Whether you’re moving across the city, interstate or internationally, we provide the best services to keep your pet safe and comfortable on their journey.
Our pet relocation specialists work closely with you to take care of the paperwork and veterinarian health checks so you can focus on the more important things, like packing their favourite chew toy. For a complete list of our services, visit our pet relocation page.
[1] RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase (July, 2017) What do I need to consider before transporting my pet by air?, https://kb.rspca.org.au/what-do-i-need-to-consider-before-transporting-my-pet-by-air_522.html