Bringing your Dog Back to the United States

Traveling With Pets on American Airlines
Depending on the animal breed, size, and requirements, they can travel as a carry-on, be checked or transported with American Airlines Cargo. With the exception of a few breed restrictions, you can only travel with dogs and cats. Please contact Reservations in advance so they can notify you of any requirements or travel changes that may affect you and your pet. For the most updated information about pet restrictions for American Airlines, please visit americanairlines.safestkitts.org

Carry-on Pets:
When traveling on an American Airlines flight, you can bring one pet kennel as your carry-on bag if:

• You pay the carry-on pet charge
• Your pet is at least 8 weeks old
• Your pet stays in their kennel and under the seat in front of you for the entire flight

When traveling on an American Eagle flight, you can take up to 2 kennels (depending on the airplane). American Airlines can only accept up to 7 kennels each flight (not including service animals). You’ll need to contact Reservations to make arrangements in advance.

Kennel Guidelines for carry-on pets:

• When carrying on your pet, you’ll need to make sure that they can stand up, turn around and lie down in a natural position in their kennel. Non-collapsible kennels can be a maximum of 19in x 13in x 9in.
• Soft-sided collapsible kennels such as Sherpa bags can be larger if they're made of water-repellant, padded or the have nylon have mesh ventilation on 2 or more sides.

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Checked Pets:
You can travel with up to 2 checked pets that are at least 8 weeks old. Please note that as capacity is limited, AA accepts checked pets on a first-come basis. When checking a pet, you’ll need to:

• Check in at the ticket counter
• Allow extra check-in time (can't check pets more than 4 hours before your flight)
• Complete a checklist with an agent
• Provide a health certificate - To ensure the health and safety pets, the health certificate you provide must be issued by a vet within 10 days of your travel
• To obtain a health certificate, please make an appointment with Dr. Burnell Nisbett at Ponds Veterinary Clinic (located behind IGA and Horsfords) by calling (869) 465-9849. The clinic hours are Monday – Friday: 8:00 am – 10:00 am & 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm and Saturday: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm 

When checking in your pet, there are specific requirements for their kennel:

• Up to 40in x 27in x 30in or 102cm x 69cm x 76cm*
• Large enough for your pet to stand, turn, sit and lie down in a natural position
• Secured at the top and bottom with bolts or screws
• Secured by yourself with zip ties on all 4 corners (zip ties can be found at Best Buy, TDC, and other stores)
• Be leak and escape proof with a secure fastened door
• Have ventilation on the door and 2 sides
• Have separate food and watering dishes attached securely inside the kennel
• Have a small bag of food for a 24-hour period attached to the top
• Be clean and have absorbent material or litter (no straw, hay or wood shavings)
• If you travel with 2 of your pets in the same kennel, they must be the same species (2 cats or 2 dogs), a similar size and weigh less than 20lbs each, between 8 weeks and 6 months old
• The largest acceptable kennel is a series 500 kennel**

Food and Water

• Due to Federal Regulations, you’ll need to provide written certification (securely and visibly attached to the outside of the kennel) that your pet has been fed and offered water within 4 hours (with the specific time noted) before you deliver them to the airplane. The certification must have your signature with the date and time that you signed it
• You’ll also need to provide feeding and watering instructions for a 24-hour period. Unless specified by a vet, you cannot leave instructions saying “no food or water.”

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Charges for Traveling With Your Pet

• If you’re traveling on an American Airlines itinerary, you can pay your charge at the airport or at a travel center by with cash, credit card and voucher
• For checked pets traveling from St. Kitts to the United States, the charge per kennel is $200 USD 
• For carry-on pets traveling from St. Kitts to the United States, the charge per kennel is $125 USD 
• There is no charge for service animals

Temperature Restrictions

• American Airlines has temperature restrictions to make sure your pet isn’t exposed to extreme heat or cold in animal holding areas, at terminal facilities, when moving animals between the terminal and the airplane, or on a plane awaiting departure
• Heat Restrictions: You cannot travel with a pet if the current or forecasted temperature is above 85˚F (29.4˚C) at any location on the itinerary
• Cold Restrictions: You cannot travel with a pet if the ground temperature is below 45˚F (7.2˚C) at any location on the itinerary. American Airlines may waive the cold temperature restrictions if you have a written letter from a licensed veterinarian that includes your name and address, you pet’s name, your vet’s name and signature, your vet’s accreditation date and number, and the temperature your pet is acclimated to. The letter must be dated within 10 days of the first flight your pet will be on and within 30 days of any other trips in the same itinerary. If the temperature is below 20˚F (-6.6˚C), your pet can not be checked, even with a letter from your vet.

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Traveling With A Service Animal

• Service animals are welcome on all flights. There are no additional charges for service animals traveling in the cabin.
• To travel with an emotional support or psychiatric service animal, you’ll need to contact the Reservations desk of the airline operating your flight (American or US Airways) at least 48 hours before your flight and submit the required documentation.
• Cabin Rules: The animal must fit on your lap, at your feet or under your seat; animals must be clean, well behaved and under your control at all times; If the animal is too large, it will need to be checked and travel in a kennel
• Seating Options: For security reasons, service animals can’t block any aisle; You can’t sit in an exit row when traveling with service animals; If you’d like seating, contact the airline operating your flight (American or US Airways) before your flight
• To show that an animal is a service animal, you must provide (at least one of the following): Animal ID card, Harness or tags, written documentation to verify the service, psychiatric or emotional support status of your animal, credible verbal assurance

Emotional Support (ES) of Psychiatric Service (PS) Animals: To travel with an ES or PS animal in the cabin you must provide supporting documentation dated within 1 year of your scheduled flight. It must be from a licensed mental health professional or a medical doctor and state:

• That you have a mental or emotional disability recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition (DSM IV)
• That you need the emotional support or psychiatric service animal as an accommodation for air travel and/or for activity at your destination
• That the individual providing the assessment is a licensed mental health professional or medical doctor, and you are under his or her professional care
• The date and type of the mental health professional or medical doctor's license and the state or other jurisdiction where it was issued
• If American Airlines is unable to validate your documentation or if you didn’t notify them at least 48 hours before your flight, the animal may need to be checked and travel in a kennel.

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Recommendations: In case your pet happens to get loose in the airport, we highly recommend micro-chipping them prior to flying. Additionally, rabies vaccinations are typically much less expensive on St. Kitts than in the US. Your pet may require a rabies vaccination prior to obtaining a health certificate. Rabies vaccinations and microchips are offered at the Ross University Veterinary Clinic 

Important Phone Numbers:

• American Airlines Reservations: 1-800-433-7300 (English) or 1-800-633-3711 (Spanish)
• US Airways Reservations: 1-800-428-4322
• Ross University Veterinary Clinic (RUVC): (869) 466-3056
• Ponds Veterinary Clinic: (869) 465-9849

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To reach our officer on-call, please call the SAFE Emergency Hotline: 
(869) 765-4032

To reach the Ross University Veterinary Clinic after hours and on weekends, please call the RUVC Emergency Line: 
(869) 662-7080

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Bringing Your Pet Back to the US - PDF Version

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