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Flying Air Canada with pets

Cloud Cover

Army.ca Fixture
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Bit of a ramble...
So I’m flying out west from YYZ to YLW for the holidays. I’ve booked my dog with Air Canada Cargo, and we will be flying on different aircraft but we arrive at approximately same time. He’s a medium dog, 70 lb Border Collie. I’m wondering if anyone has had experiences (good or bad) with having pets flown. My guy is an experienced working field dog, he’s ok with people but he will pin all other animals into a tight pack and nip them into the direction he wants them to go. Sort of like an RSM on parade.

My understanding is that in YYZ and YVR , ACC will pen him with similar sized dogs before and after flights, and of course crate him for the flight.  Then he will be air shuttled to YLW, where I will meet him. Anybody have experiences to share? Were your animals given water, were they exposed to idiots who might antagonize them in the pen or try something stupid like feed them junk, is the aircraft hold dark and cold or what?

Once we are out there and settled, he’ll be working on the farm for a few weeks ( at least) so I need him in a functioning state. We have 8 rams and 130 ewes arriving 1st week of January, we already have 230 Merinos + the new rams and ewes are Swedish Pelt (gray wool) for grand total of 390 sheep. My dog Will is tasked with keeping the breeds apart and moving them between land sections and away from the orchards, while the rams do their thing. Once all the ewes are pregnant, I will tag them and then we’ll come home where he and I have work to do, and then return permanently in 6 months to join 9D, where we should have between 800to 1000 sheep and starting to cycle the shearing. I’m excited in building this new life, but the thing that worries me most is the treatment of my dog by Air Canada. He’s my wingman, and as the saying goes it’s very hard to tell who rescued who.
 
I don't think they'd pen strange dogs together. Imagine a purebred, unaltered bitch being penned with an unaltered mutt! Lawsuit waiting to happen. As to the rest, I couldn't answer that. However have you already booked the flight for the dog? I was under the impression that there was usually a hold on the shipping of animals over the holiday period.

As to the sheep, what's your plan on processing the wool?  Will you be doing it in house? Selling in bales? Selling the final spun and/or died product? Always in the market for new yarn!  ;D And I have lots of knitting friends.
 
I've shipped my dogs both domestically and internationally via AC cargo and had zero issues, in fact, I wish I had the service with travelling as a passenger as I got with shipping the dogs.

I agree with Strike, I haven't heard of them letting the dog out of the kennel domestically and each time the kennel arrived with the original zap straps securing the door. They will provide water while the dog is inside the kennel, which is why you need to have a bowl attached to the door.
 
I shipped my dog direct from South Korea to Pearson via AC. His crate was intact exactly how it’d been loaded, he was in great spirits and had an easier time getting through customs than I did. No complications at all and absolutely zero indications of any neglect or other type of mistreatment.
 
Thanks for all the info. I did book this quite some time ago, but based on comments here I called Air Canada Cargo. At this time of year they use chartered cargo aircraft which run from YYZ to YYV multiple times per day. The dogs are released individually into a pen for a stretch etc. after crate times exceeding 7 hours, where permissible, practical if there are facilities. Dogs that act cross or intemperate to ground staff are not released for safety reasons. All dogs that go into the pen are alone and have only a few minutes, time permitting.  They are released individually. Animals including pets coming from overseas are managed by federal quarantine staff and can only be air shipped to limited points in Canada. ( most major airports). The flight loading is climate controlled and has lighting. They are given water, and treats in crates are not permitted.

Strike I will PM you on the wool. Tara and I are taking a shearing course in Wallacetown in February. I do know that ewes above 6 years of age are only sheared once or twice more before heading off to the plant or are skinned for carpets ( makes me think of beds in Game of Thrones), unless they still ptoduce 2 or 3 saleable lambs. The grey wool sheep are freaking beautiful, especially the adult rams.

The sheep are not the main part of the operation. This is in lake country BC, so grapes and orchards, plus organic ground vegetables are part of it. For heavens sakes, never in my life did I think I would learn to round off a hoof or shoe a horse, I did both almost everyday in Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov. during week on duty. Plus, I was spit on by a friggin Llama and chased by an angry peacock. I love it!
 
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