If you're moving your pet from Canada to Australia, you'll need to arrange Air Canada cargo for the flight. Here's what to know.
How booking works
Air Canada's booking requirements for international live animal cargo can vary based on your pet's age, the specific route, and current airline policies. Contact Air Canada cargo or your transport agent directly to confirm current requirements for your specific situation.
Most Canadian pet owners moving to Australia work with a transport agent to coordinate the Air Canada booking. International pet transport involves routing decisions, welfare checks, transit logistics, and documentation coordination that agents handle every day.
What an IPATA agent actually does
Your agent doesn't just book the flight. They select the right routing from Vancouver (YVR) or Toronto (YYZ) to Melbourne (MEL), coordinate welfare checks during transit, manage the cargo documentation, and handle anything that goes wrong along the way - flight changes, delays, rebooking.
The Australian and Canadian pet transport Facebook communities have consistent advice on this: use an agent. Not because you couldn't theoretically manage the paperwork, but because having someone with airline relationships and experience is genuinely valuable when something unexpected happens mid-journey.