Pet Transportation in Denver, CO
We provide international pet transport to and from Denver, CO, 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 DEN
- Door-to-door relocation
- Meeting your pet at the arrival airport
Denver requires a license for pets by law.
Prefer to talk it through? Call 1-877-540-0555
Denver at a glance
How a move from Denver works- Flights from
- Denver International (DEN)
- Door-to-door pickup
- Roughly one to two hours’ drive of Denver
- Airline guides
- Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta and United Airlines
- Export paperwork
- USDA endorsement through VEHCS
- Service area
- Mountain West
Pet Relocation from Denver
Denver International Airport (DEN) sits a mile above sea level, and its wide temperature swings shape every pet booking. The season, not just the date, decides the safe window.
Snow can disrupt schedules at DEN, so we book with margin and choose nonstop flights where they exist to cut down on handling.
In NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 climate normals, read November 1, 2026, the January low at Denver International averages 18.7F, below the 20F at which American will not carry an animal at all, and the July high of 89.9F is past its 85F ceiling, with 46.2 days of 90F or more a year. When a flight will not work, a partner driver can take your pet by road to or from Colorado Springs, Salt Lake City or another state.
How a Move from Denver Works
Our pet relocation services come apart: book just the flights out of DEN, or the whole move from your Denver home onward.
Flights and check-in
We book your pet’s flights from Denver International (DEN), 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 Denver, 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 Denver
Coming from another state? APHIS’s interstate pet travel page, read September 16, 2026, says the receiving state or territory sets the requirements for a pet moving in, and its list of destinations includes Colorado. Once you live here, the City and County of Denver’s pet licensing page, read September 23, 2026, says pet licenses are required by law in Denver, and that a pit bull needs a Breed-Restricted Permit as well as a license. 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 Denver
Denver International Airport (DEN)
Denver International Airport is the primary hub in Colorado, supporting domestic and international routes.
Airlines that fly pets from Denver
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.
Our Pet Transport Process
Consultation
We review your pet’s details, destination, and timeline.
Travel Plan and Timeline
Our team builds a step-by-step transportation plan with confirmed dates.
Pre-Travel Preparation
We confirm documentation, crate requirements, and pre-departure steps.
Transportation
Travel is coordinated with airlines, carriers, or ground transport partners.
Post-Travel Support
We provide guidance for pickup, customs clearance, or final delivery.
Our Pet Transport Services
Air Pet Shipping
Air pet shipping plans account for routing, airline policies, documentation, and seasonal restrictions. We also coordinate airport procedures when required.
Ground Pet Transport
Ground transportation offers flexible scheduling and controlled travel conditions. This option works well for regional or cross-state relocations.
International Pet Transport
International transport involves health certificates, import permits, and airline coordination. We plan each step to align with destination country rules.
Door to Door Relocation
Door-to-door relocation combines ground and air services into one coordinated plan. Timing, routing, and arrival support remain fully aligned.
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 winter cold limits, and plan the routing through Denver (DEN) 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 Denver
In addition to Denver, we coordinate pet transportation services across Aurora, Lakewood, Centennial, Boulder, and surrounding Colorado communities. Also, Pet Travel Advisors supports pet relocations nationwide throughout the United States.
Beyond the metro, our Mountain West service area reaches Colorado Springs and Salt Lake City.
Ready to start?
Book the whole move, or only the parts you need.
What to Expect When Shipping a Pet Through Denver Airport (DEN)
Who actually handles your pet at DEN
Air General runs the cargo warehouse at 7654 Undergrove Street, and that is where a pet booked on Alaska Air Cargo Pet Connect is dropped off and collected. Drop-off runs Monday to Friday, 5:00am to 7:00pm, and Saturday 6:00am to 2:00pm. Collection runs an hour later on weekdays, to 8:00pm. Sunday is closed.
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.
Arrivals at DEN from Abroad
Whether a dog flying in from abroad can land at DEN depends on CDC’s rules. A foreign-vaccinated dog that has been in a high-risk country must arrive at an airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility, and CDC’s list, updated September 1, 2026 and read November 1, 2026, names Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, Philadelphia, Seattle and Washington Dulles, not Denver. That dog enters the US there, and the move to Denver continues from that airport. Our page on pet relocation to the USA sets out the other routes in.
Temperature limits and ground handling
Airlines decide whether a pet flies, not the airport. American transports warm-blooded animals when ground temperatures are between 45F and 85F. Below that it requires a letter of acclimation signed and dated by a licensed veterinarian, which covers 20F to 44F, and it will not carry an animal at all below 20F. Alaska Air Cargo says many of its stations have seasonal temperature embargoes for animal shipments over a summer season that generally runs from May 1 to October 16. Between drop-off and loading your pet waits in the cargo handler building rather than a dedicated animal terminal, so the acceptance window and the handler opening hours are what a travel date has to be built around.
Questions about moving a pet to or from Denver
Request a QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
Can pets still fly out of Denver in winter?
Winter is the main scheduling factor for Denver moves. When temperatures drop, airlines apply cold-weather limits and may hold animals from cargo on the coldest days. We plan around it by choosing milder travel windows and midday departures from DEN, and by routing through warmer connections when the forecast calls for it, so your pet travels safely.
Do you offer door-to-door pet transport from Denver?
Yes. Many Denver families want the whole move handled, so we can arrange ground pickup from your home, the airport hand-off, and delivery at the other end. One coordinator stays with the journey from your Denver door to the destination.
Do you handle international pet moves from Denver?
Yes. Denver International (DEN) has strong international service, and we coordinate overseas moves from Denver end to end, mapping the route, preparing the destination country’s import paperwork, and timing travel around the airline’s schedule. See our destination guides for country requirements.
How is the cost of a Denver pet move decided?
Every Denver 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.
For real numbers, our pet shipping cost guide covers domestic moves from in-cabin fees to full-service coordination, and our cost calculator itemizes every government fee on international routes.
Do you help with crates and carriers for Denver 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 Denver pets we confirm the crate well before travel so there are no surprises at DEN, and we start acclimation early so the crate feels familiar by travel day.