Best pet relocation and transport services for moving with pets 2025

Starwood Pet Travel is the best overall service if you have a cat or dog you need to transport across the country. The company has been in business for more than 40 years, so it has had a long time to perfect the best practices for ensuring safe travels for your pet. It is also a member of the IPATA, so it's committed to the well-being of the animals it transports and adheres to a set of ethics prescribed by the IPATA.

Starwood offers domestic and international transport services and has plenty of experience navigating the complexities of flying a pet to a new country. "Our expertise lies in identifying the best airlines and flight routes that prioritize pet safety, bolstered by our longstanding partnerships with these trusted carriers," Ashley Adkins, director of content development for Starwood Pet Travel, told Yahoo Local. "Furthermore, certain destinations and airlines mandate the use of pet transport companies to oversee flight bookings and customs clearance, guaranteeing a smooth and compliant process for all involved."

Starwood also offers a pet protection plan, which covers veterinary expenses, emergency repatriation, or trip interruption costs up to certain thresholds. The one major downside is that services are only available for cats and dogs, so you can't hire Starwood to transport more exotic pets.

Airpets International has been around for more than 30 years, giving it a long legacy in the pet transport game. It's also a member of the IPATA, so you know it has agreed to uphold certain standards and ethics when handling your pet. Its experience with international trips gives it the know-how to help handle all customs requirements.

Unlike many other services, Airpets International can handle nearly any pet you want to ship. Though the company says it has the most experience with household pets, it will transport turtles, skunks, guinea pigs, lizards, and more. Over the years, the company has racked up hundreds of Google reviews with a 4.8 average star rating.

One unique aspect of Airpets International is that it offers pet lodging during layovers and delays during the relocation process. Pets are kept in a temperature-controlled location overnight where they can rest when they aren't traveling. However, note that employees don't accompany pets on these overnight stays, instead monitoring them via camera feeds to ensure their safety.

Happy Tails Travel got its start in 1995, giving it 30 years of experience in the pet relocation industry. It's also an IPATA member, so it adheres to a strict set of standards and ethics set forth by the association. 

Happy Tails offers the usual accompaniment of ground and air travel across the U.S., though it has currently suspended international shipping. With domestic travel, Happy Tails helps you along the entire process, assisting in making sure you get all of the documentation you need. It will also help pick a good airline for pet travel and assist you in selecting airline-approved carriers and more.

Happy Tails offers a pet nanny service, through which you can ensure your pet has one-on-one care throughout its entire travel experience. 

The company is also transparent with pricing, listing the cost of services clearly on its website. The starting costs are relatively affordable, starting at $1,150 for VIP ground transport between 500 and 4,000 miles. Happy Tails also provides discounts for multiple pets, military personnel, roundtrip services, and repeat clients.

Air Animal Pet Movers has been in business since 1977, giving it a long history of moving pets across the world. The company is also an IPATA member, meaning it adheres to certain ethics and standards that put the safety of your pet first. 

Air Animal has several tiers of transport services. VIP service is the top tier, with pickup and drop-off at the origin and destination addresses, while basic health certificate services connect you with an expert to provide the documentation you need for international travel. Three tiers exist in between, ranging from making the necessary arrangements for you to fly with your pet to pet pickup and delivery.

These services can get complicated to parse, especially when they aren't all available depending on where you're flying to. However, Air Animal makes it easier to digest by providing clear examples of what's available for every destination, along with pricing, on its website. Note that VIP services can get very expensive, upwards of $10,000 for some destinations.

Royal Paws is the company you should go for if you want your pet to have private attention throughout its whole trip. The company exclusively provides ground transport around the U.S., so don't expect air or international travel. Each trip is done in a comfortable, spacious SUV with plenty of room for your pet to stretch out.

The company doesn't do shared rides with other pets, so it's good for animals that may get nervous around unfamiliar animals. Water is provided throughout the entire journey, and Royal Paws uses a team of two drivers for each trip to make it as quick as possible.

Royal Paws is not a member of the IPATA, but it consistently ranks among the best pet transport services out there due to its special attention to making trips as comfortable as possible. The lack of international travel strikes Royal Paws from the list if you're moving to another country, and the nature of its private transport services means it is more expensive than other options.