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Flying with a dog or cat from Calgary to Phoenix

A favourite snowbird route, and an easy one for pets: dogs need the free CDC Dog Import Form, a microchip and to be at least 6 months old. Desert heat is the real challenge, and Phoenix bans dogs from its trails on 100°F (38°C) days.

Plan, then confirm. This guide sums up the official rules as we found them. Rules change, and your airline has its own. Check every step with the sources below and your airline before you book.

Your trip, step by step

  1. Before you go

    • Dogs: since August 2024 a dog flying from Canada to the US needs a CDC Dog Import Form receipt (fill it in online, free, valid 6 months), must be at least 6 months old, microchipped and healthy. Cats don't need the CDC form.

  2. At Calgary International

    • YYC has indoor relief areas after security near the A gates (by the Quiet Space), across from Chili's at the D gates, and next to gate E80. There are outdoor ones near Doors 1, 9 and 17 on the arrivals level.
    • Pets can be out of their kennel on a short (4 ft or less) non-retractable leash, but must be in a kennel in food courts, restaurants and play areas, and carried on escalators and moving walkways. At security, tell the screening officer you have a pet. You'll carry your pet through the walk-through scanner while the empty carrier goes through the X-ray.
    • Full Calgary International airport guide
    • You clear US customs at Calgary's US preclearance, so have your dog's CDC receipt ready there.

  3. The flight

    • WestJet flies nonstop (check current schedules). Small pets usually fly in the cabin. Summer heat limits can stop pets flying in the hold, so check your airline's rules.

  4. Arriving in Phoenix

    • You land as a domestic passenger at Phoenix Sky Harbor. US airports have animal relief areas inside security and outside the terminal.

  5. With your pet in Phoenix

    • Dogs aren't allowed on City of Phoenix hiking trails when it's 100°F (38°C) or hotter. Winter and early spring are the best months to hike together.
    • Pavement and rocks get hot enough to burn paws. Test with your hand, and walk at dawn or after sunset.
    • Carry more water than you think you need, for both of you.

  6. Coming home

    • Coming home, use the CFIA's online pet import tool before you leave Canada so you know what you'll need at the border. Keep your pet's rabies vaccination certificate valid for the whole trip; dogs and cats 3 months and older usually need one to come back into Canada.

Questions

Can I hike with my dog in Phoenix?

Yes, except on days when it's 100°F (38°C) or hotter, when dogs are banned from City of Phoenix trails.

What does my dog need to fly from Calgary to Phoenix?

A CDC Dog Import Form receipt, a microchip, and to be at least 6 months old and healthy. You clear US customs in Calgary.

Sources