Breed Restrictions for Pet Shipping: What Snub-Nosed Dog and Cat Owners Need to Know

If you own a bulldog, pug, boxer, Persian cat, or another flat-faced (brachycephalic) breed, you have probably already discovered that flying your pet is more complicated than it is for other breeds. Many airlines restrict or ban these breeds from cargo travel entirely.

The reason is anatomy. Brachycephalic animals have shortened skulls and compressed airways. Their breathing is already less efficient at rest, and the stress of air travel combined with temperature changes and altitude can make it dangerous. Airlines have experienced in-flight fatalities with these breeds, and most major carriers have responded by tightening their rules.

This does not mean your snub-nosed pet cannot travel. It means you need a different plan.

The most commonly restricted dog breeds include:

Mixed breeds with brachycephalic features may also be restricted. Airlines make the call based on physical characteristics, not just breed name.

Flat-faced cat breeds also face restrictions:

Each airline sets its own rules. Here is a general overview of major US carriers as of 2026 (always verify directly before booking, as policies change):

Delta Air Lines does not accept brachycephalic dogs, cats or their mixes on Delta or Delta Connection flights at all. The ban is year round rather than seasonal. Delta has also paused household pet cargo generally: bookings are open only to active US Military and State Department Foreign Service Officers traveling on permanent change of station orders. Checked September 2026.

United Airlines has closed the PetSafe cargo program, so United carries pets in the cabin only. Cargo remains available only to certain active-duty military and State Department employees. United publishes no weight or breed limit for cabin pets, but the carrier has to fit under the seat in front, and on the A319, A320, A321neo, 737-800, 737-8, 737-900 and 737-9 only one pet per passenger is allowed. Checked September 2026.

American Airlines Cargo does not accept brachycephalic breeds in cargo at all, regardless of season, and also restricts breeds it classes as historically aggressive. It remains the one big-three US carrier running a public live animal cargo program for domestic moves. Warm-blooded animals are transported when ground temperatures are 45 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, or 20 to 44 with a letter of acclimation from a licensed veterinarian. Checked September 2026.

Alaska Air Cargo, which now also handles Hawaiian, runs Pet Connect and is the most open of the US carriers, but two dates matter right now. French and English Bulldogs are under a full cargo embargo from 31 July 2026 to 30 September 2026, so they cannot fly in the hold on Alaska or Hawaiian at all during that window, as cargo or as checked animals. Separately, revised brachycephalic rules take effect on 1 October 2026. Short-nosed dogs and cats are generally refused in the hold, with an exception for flights to, from or within Hawaii, and Alaska requires a kennel one size larger than standard for the breeds it does accept. Staffordshire Terriers, Pit Bull Terriers and Bull Terriers stay eligible under the October rules. Pets are accepted between 45 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, with a certificate of acclimation allowing travel below 45. Checked September 2026.

Southwest Airlines carries small pets in the cabin only, under the seat, and has no cargo pet program.

JetBlue carries small pets in the cabin only and has no cargo option.

International carriers vary widely. Some Asian and European airlines accept brachycephalic breeds in cargo with conditions. Others have full bans.

If your pet is small enough to fly in-cabin (under 20 pounds including carrier, fits under the seat), the breed restriction usually does not apply. French Bulldogs and pugs frequently fly in-cabin without issue. This is the safest and simplest option when size allows.

For larger brachycephalic breeds that cannot fly cargo, ground transport is often the best choice. Professional pet transport services use climate-controlled vehicles with frequent rest stops. Domestic routes across the US typically cost $500 to $2,500 depending on distance.

Ground transport avoids the altitude, pressure changes, and confined cargo conditions that make air travel risky for flat-faced breeds.

A small number of pet-specific charter services and niche airlines cater specifically to pet travel, including brachycephalic breeds. These are more expensive but offer cabin-level conditions for your pet.

For international moves, we look for airlines that accept brachycephalic breeds on the specific route. Some carriers (particularly in Asia and the Middle East) are more flexible than US-based airlines. The route may need to be less direct, but it gets your pet there safely and legally.

If your flat-faced pet is cleared to fly, these steps reduce the risk:

At Pet Travel Advisors, we coordinate moves for flat-faced breeds regularly. We know which airlines accept which breeds on which routes, and we monitor temperature and embargo windows to find safe travel dates. When cargo is not an option, we arrange ground transport or route through carriers that accept the breed.

Request a quote and we will put together a detailed plan and price for your specific route.

Prefer to talk? Give us a call at 1-877-540-0555.

Where a brachycephalic pet is accepted at all, carriers apply tighter container rules than the standard IATA requirements. The usual pattern: one crate size larger than the measurements alone would call for, ventilation openings on all four sides rather than three, and no travel when forecast temperatures on any leg cross the carrier’s heat threshold. Some carriers also cap the times of day these breeds can move in warm months. Build all of this into the plan rather than discovering it at booking.

Breed policy is not only an airline question. Some destinations restrict specific breeds outright, most commonly bully breeds, regardless of how they travel. A route that works for a pug can be closed to an American Staffordshire Terrier by the country, not the carrier. Checking both layers, airline and destination, is the first step of planning a restricted-breed move, and it is exactly the kind of checking a relocation service does before quoting. Our guide to banned and restricted dog breeds by country sets out the destination layer in full, country by country, including the four breeds Germany prohibits outright and the crossbreed wording that decides most of these cases.

Breed rules are set by each carrier, not by government, and they change. Checked August 2026.

Yes. If your French Bulldog is small enough for an in-cabin carrier (most are), you can fly together in the cabin on most airlines. Cargo is restricted on many airlines for French Bulldogs, but in-cabin travel is generally available.

Brachycephalic breeds have compressed airways that make breathing harder under stress. The combination of altitude, temperature changes, and the stress of cargo travel has caused fatalities in these breeds. Airlines restrict them to reduce that risk.

Professional pet ground transport services use climate-controlled vehicles, make regular rest stops, and monitor pets throughout the trip. For brachycephalic breeds, ground transport is generally considered safer than cargo air travel for domestic moves.

Airlines evaluate physical characteristics, not just breed name. If your mixed-breed dog has a flat face and shortened snout, the airline may apply the brachycephalic restriction. When in doubt, contact us with a photo and we can advise on likely airline decisions.

Yes. Most airlines that do accept brachycephalic breeds in cargo impose stricter temperature limits than for other breeds. Typical cutoff is 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit at origin, transit, and destination airports. Standard breeds may be allowed up to 85 degrees.

On most US carriers, not as cargo. The realistic options are ground transport within North America, or an international route built on a carrier that still accepts the breed under its restricted-breed container and weather rules. It is case by case, which is why we check carrier policy for your exact route before quoting.

Yes. Flat-faced cat breeds like Persians, Himalayans, and Exotic Shorthairs sit under the same brachycephalic policies as snub-nosed dogs on most carriers, for the same breathing reasons.

Moving between October and March? Our guide to fall and winter pet travel embargoes covers the closures and temperature limits that decide whether a booking survives the season.

Breed restrictions bite hardest on the carriers that still fly animals in the hold. Delta is a special case, because its hold is closed to the public entirely. Our Delta pet policy guide sets out which breeds it names and what the cabin rule allows instead.