Travel & Hospitality

IATA’s Live Animals Regulations are the rules airlines worldwide apply to carrying animals by air. They specify how a travel container must be built, sized and ventilated so a dog can stand, turn and lie naturally, along with handling, labelling and density requirements. Adopted into the conditions of carriage by most major airlines, they are the de facto global standard for flying a dog safely.

Published as RDFS-02, a structured standard defining what “dog friendly” means in hotels and accommodation, a term the industry long used without a shared definition. Seven mandatory requirements form a floor covering published policy, in-room provision, shared-space access and fee transparency; beyond it a hotel is graded A+ to F across a guest’s stay, then assessed and publicly listed.

Crossing a border with a dog is governed by statutory biosecurity rules, principally to prevent the spread of rabies and certain parasites. In the EU and UK these require microchipping, rabies vaccination and official health certification, checked by veterinary officials at the point of entry. The documents must be issued by an authorised vet, and failure to comply can mean refusal of entry or quarantine.

Bringing a dog into the United States is led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whose rabies-focused import rule was tightened in 2024, while the Department of Agriculture regulates commercial import and transport. For entry a dog needs a microchip, a minimum age and valid rabies vaccination, checked at the port of entry, and a dog that does not comply can be refused.

Canada’s federal rules on the humane transport of animals, including dogs, administered nationally by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Part XII prohibits transporting unfit animals and restricts compromised ones, caps the time animals may travel without feed, water and rest, requires conveyances that prevent injury, and demands a written transfer-of-care record for commercial shipments.