Pet Transport in Phoenix, AZ
We provide international pet transport to and from Phoenix, 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 PHX
- Door-to-door relocation
- Meeting your pet at the arrival airport
Maricopa County requires a license, renewed every year, for every dog three months or older.
Prefer to talk it through? Call 1-877-540-0555
Phoenix at a glance
How a move from Phoenix works- Flights from
- Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX)
- Door-to-door pickup
- Roughly one to two hours’ drive of Phoenix
- Airline guides
- Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta and United Airlines
- Export paperwork
- USDA endorsement through VEHCS
- Service area
- Southwest
Pet Relocation from Phoenix
In Phoenix, desert heat runs the schedule. American says pets outside the cabin cannot travel to, through or from Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas or Palm Springs from May 1 to September 30. Outside those dates, and on carriers other than American, we book the earliest morning departures and watch the forecast closely, because each airline sets its own heat limit for pets in the hold. Phoenix Sky Harbor averages a January low of 46.0F and fewer than one night below freezing a year, in NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 climate normals read 20 September 2026. From Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX), we plan the whole trip around the cooler window.
How a Move from Phoenix Works
Our pet relocation services from Phoenix can be one PHX booking or the complete move, starting with a pickup at home.
Flights and check-in
We book your pet’s flights from Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX), 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 Phoenix, 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 Phoenix
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 Arizona. The Maricopa County Animal Care and Control dog license page, read September 23, 2026, says failing to vaccinate or license a dog could result in fines. 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 Phoenix
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
Location: Approximately 3 miles east of downtown Phoenix, Arizona.
PHX is the primary airport serving the region. For long-haul international travel or destinations requiring specialized quarantine procedures, travelers may need to connect through larger international hubs like Los Angeles (LAX) or Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW).
Airlines that fly pets from Phoenix
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.
How Our Pet Transport Process Works
Consultation
We review your pet’s details, destination requirements, and preferred travel timeline.
Travel Plan and Timeline
A route and schedule are mapped out based on airline and ground options.
Pre-Travel Preparation
Required documents, crate specifications, and timing checkpoints are confirmed.
Transportation Coordination
Flights, ground segments, and airport steps are coordinated as planned.
Arrival Support
Arrival procedures are reviewed in advance.
Our Pet Transport Services
Air Pet Shipping
Air travel plans focus on airline rules, routing options, and documentation timing. We also coordinate airport check-in when required.
Ground Pet Transport
Ground pet transportation supports regional and long-distance moves throughout Phoenix and surrounding cities. Meanwhile, routing and travel duration are planned with comfort in mind.
International Pet Transport
International relocations require careful coordination of permits, health documents, and airline approvals. We guide pet owners through each step.
Door to Door Relocation
Door to door relocation connects pickup, travel, and arrival planning into one coordinated schedule. As a result, transitions stay organized and predictable.
Types of Pets We Transport
We provide transportation for all kinds of pets.
Dog Transportation
Dogs are the moves we plan most often. We match the crate to your dog’s size, book around airline rules and summer heat limits, and plan the routing through Phoenix (PHX) 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 Phoenix
Pet Travel Advisors provides pet transportation services throughout Phoenix, including Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, and Glendale. We also coordinate pet relocations nationwide across the United States.
Elsewhere in the desert, our Southwest service area serves Tucson and Las Vegas.
Helpful reads by Pet Travel Advisors
Ready to start?
Book the whole move, or only the parts you need.
What to Expect When Shipping a Pet Through Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX)
Who actually handles your pet at PHX
AGI runs the cargo warehouse at 1247 South 27th Street, Building A, Unit 23, and that is where a pet booked on Alaska Air Cargo Pet Connect is dropped off and collected. Drop-off and collection run Monday to Friday, 6:00am to 11:00pm, and Saturday 6:00am to 2:30pm. 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.
Animal Handling Facilities
PHX provides climate-controlled animal handling areas for pets traveling as cargo. These facilities ensure that pets are kept safe and comfortable while awaiting flights. The airport complies with USDA regulations for the safe transport of animals.
Questions about moving a pet to or from Phoenix
Request a QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
Can pets fly out of Phoenix during the summer heat?
American says pets outside the cabin cannot travel to, through or from Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas or Palm Springs from May 1 to September 30. 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. Phoenix summers are the single biggest factor in a pet’s travel plan, and daytime ramp temperatures regularly pass the limits airlines set for animals in cargo. Outside American’s closure, and on other carriers, we work around the heat by booking early-morning or overnight departures from Sky Harbor, or shifting the travel window, so your pet is never left waiting on a hot tarmac.
Do you handle international pet moves from Phoenix?
Yes. Phoenix has some direct international service, and many overseas moves connect through a larger gateway. We map the full route from your Phoenix pickup through any connection, prepare the destination country’s import paperwork, and time everything around both the heat and the airline’s schedule. See our destination guides for country requirements.
What kinds of pets do you relocate from Phoenix?
We coordinate travel for dogs, cats, birds, small mammals, and select reptiles or exotics from the Phoenix area, whenever airline and destination rules allow. Because of Arizona’s heat, plans for snub-nosed breeds and older pets get extra attention and earlier booking in the summer months.
How is the cost of a Phoenix pet move decided?
Every Phoenix move is priced individually, because the route, airline fees, your pet’s size and crate, the travel season, and the destination’s requirements all affect the total. Summer routing around the heat can change timing and connections too. 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.