You have decided to relocate to Toronto, but have you considered what this might entail for your pets? Toronto is incredibly pet friendly (particularly dog friendly) with many off-leash dog parks and dog friendly eateries. There is no reason why you cannot relocate to Toronto with your furry friends, but before doing so, here are some helpful tips to ensure that your pets’ relocation is as seamless and stress free as possible.

Flights

If you need to fly to relocate to Toronto then you will need to find out what airlines allow pet travel. Note that for larger animals, they will most likely need to fly in the cargo hold. Be reassured though that nowadays the cargo holds are pressure and temperature controlled and lights are dimmed during the flight to ensure a most comfortable flight for your pets as possible.

Your pet will most likely need to travel in some sort of crate or pen but be aware that your crate at home might not be suitable for travel. Crates will need to be particular dimensions to allow for enough (but not too much) movement for your pets. There also needs to be enough ventilation holes. Failure to get this right and your pet may be denied boarding!

The idea of travelling with your pet on the same flight sounds like a great idea, but in reality this may be quite impracticable. On arrival at Toronto Pearson International Airport, you will likely be queued at immigration and customs with further potential queues waiting for your baggage. Collection of your pets is usually at a different location to arrivals and you do not want to be lugging your baggage with you to somewhere on the other side of the airport after a long flight! We would recommend flying your pets a day or so after you arrive in Toronto. This gives you plenty of time to settle into your accommodation and buy pet supplies before collecting your pets.

Health Checks

You will need to arrange a health check for your pets before departing for Toronto. You will need to ensure they have received the required vaccinations (such as rabies) and they are up to date with their usual vaccinations with plenty of time ahead of their travel.

Quarantine

Luckily, most pets will not need to be quarantined on arrival into Toronto provided their health records and vaccinations are up to date which means you can take your pets home as soon as they arrive in Toronto!

Microchips and ID Tags

You need to ensure that your pet has been microchipped and has appropriate ID tags before relocating to Toronto just in case the worst should happen and they get lost during the move.

Once arriving in Canada, it is important to update the details saved to the microchip. This may be relatively straightforward if your pet has an international microchip, if they do not, you will need to register your pets microchip again in Canada.

All dogs and cats must be licensed and wear a tag in Toronto. This can be done through the City of Toronto’s website for which there is a small fee. Remember that the license needs to be renewed yearly.

MAC Relocation Services

It can be quite daunting and confusing relocating your pets to Toronto and so we would recommend using a pet transport company. MAC Relocation Services part of The MAC Group can assist in arranging this for you to take away some of the stress relocating your pets can cause

The MAC Group, including MAC Furnished Residences, MAC Real Estate Services and MAC Relocation Services are able to offer the following relocation services to suit your individual, family or corporate needs:

• Toronto and the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) Area Orientations – we can familiarize you with the city and its diversified neighbourhoods.
• Move Management (Global) – we arrange the mover, surveying your home, customs clearance and all of the other details from origin to destination.
• Destination/Settling in Services – we assist in organizing things such as your Social Insurance Number (SIN), Health Insurance, Driver’s License, Banking, Schools, Cars, Pets and much more.
• Rental and Residential Re-Sale – we are experts in the rental and home purchase or selling market in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. We are professional licensed Toronto realtors that specialize in all aspects of Toronto real estate.
• Temporary Accommodations – we offer fully furnished suites and luxury furnished apartments whilst you wait for permanent real estate accommodations.
• Departure Services – we also help those who are leaving Canada including home sales, lease terminations, closing of utilities etc.

If you are considering relocating to Toronto then please get in touch with our registered Toronto Real Estate agents and brokers that are licensed with OREA (Ontario Real Estate Association) and TRREB (Toronto Regional Real Estate Board.) We can assist in individual relocations, family relocations and corporate relocations. Please email at info@macsuites.ca or telephone 416-222-0025 / 1(877)239-0025 to connect.