Squirrel! › Flying with pets › Toronto to London

Flying with a dog or cat from Toronto to London

London is one of the most dog-friendly cities you can visit, but getting there is the hard part: pets can't fly in the cabin into Great Britain. They must travel as cargo on an approved route, and most people use a pet shipping agent.

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

    • Microchip first, then rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel. Canada doesn't need the rabies blood test.
    • Get the travel document GOV.UK lists for pets from Canada, completed by an official vet.
    • Dogs need a tapeworm treatment from a vet 24 hours to 5 days before arriving in Great Britain.
    • Book through an approved airline and route. Most pets arrive as manifest cargo, usually arranged by an IPATA pet shipper with a UK customs agent.

  2. At Toronto Pearson

    • Pearson has pet relief areas after security in both terminals, including Terminal 1 domestic (Level 2), Terminal 1 transborder by gate F83, and Terminal 3 by gate B26 and by gate A9. There are outdoor areas before security too, such as outside Terminal 1 departures at Aisle 15.
    • Pets must stay in their carrier inside the terminal (service animals excepted). 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 Toronto Pearson airport guide

  3. The flight

    • Air Canada and British Airways fly nonstop to Heathrow. Your pet flies on the same or a different flight as cargo; only assistance dogs can travel in the cabin.
    • Some travellers fly with a small pet in the cabin to Paris or Amsterdam instead, then cross to Britain by Eurotunnel or ferry, which take pets. That route has its own EU paperwork, so plan it as a separate trip.

  4. Arriving at Heathrow

    • Pets go to the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre (HARC), where staff check their paperwork. Pets are usually ready to collect 2 to 4 hours after landing. Bring photo ID, the air waybill, and a collar and lead.
    • HARC charges handling and boarding fees on top of the airline's cargo charge. Your agent will include them.

  5. With your pet in London

    • Dogs ride free on the Tube, buses and most trains. Carry your dog on escalators unless it's an assistance dog.
    • Big parks are made for dogs: Hampstead Heath, Richmond Park and Hyde Park. In Richmond Park, keep dogs on a lead near the deer, especially in the May to July birthing season and the September to October rut.
    • Many pubs welcome dogs. Look for a water bowl by the door.

  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 my dog fly in the cabin to London?

No. Except for assistance dogs, pets must enter Great Britain as cargo on an approved route.

Does my dog need a rabies blood test to go from Canada to the UK?

No. Dogs from Canada need a microchip, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel, the right travel document and, for dogs, a tapeworm treatment 1 to 5 days before arrival.

How long does it take to collect my pet at Heathrow?

Usually 2 to 4 hours after the flight lands, at the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre.

Sources