Air Canada
✈ Star Alliance📍 Canada · YYZ✓ Verified 11 Jul 2026
★ Moderate 4.5/5
89/100 · MyDogCanFly score
Cabin for small pets and hold for larger dogs — but heavy seasonal, aircraft and breed restrictions.
⚖️ Where does your dog travel?
Cabinunder-seat
Hold≤ 45 kg
AC Animalscargo
Weight includes the carrier or kennel.
🐾 CabinAllowed
One cat or small dog in a soft carrier under the seat; not in Premium Economy or exit rows. Soft-sided only since June 2025.
$50–120
🧳 HoldAllowed
Cats & dogs as checked baggage (pet + kennel ≤ 45 kg) in the pressurised hold — subject to heavy seasonal and aircraft limits.
$105–324
✈️ AC Animals cargoOn request
Unaccompanied pets, oversize kennels, more than 2 pets, or winter transport. Drop-off at a cargo facility.
Quote
💶 Fares
| Cabin — Canada / US | $50–60 |
| Cabin — international | $100–120 |
| Hold — Canada / US | $105–126 |
| Hold — international | $270–324 |
| Assistance dog | Free |
CAD/USD, one-way. AC Animals cargo is quoted separately. ✓ Official source
⚠️ Key restrictions
🐶 Flat-faced breeds
Cabin possibleHold/cargo forbidden
Snub-nosed dogs & cats are permanently embargoed from the hold and cargo (since 2015, heat/breathing risk): pugs, bulldogs, Pekingese and other snub-nosed breeds. They may still fly in the cabin if small enough. Wolf-dogs aren't carried.
🚫 Other rules
Sedation not advisedReinforced crate for strong breeds
Sedation isn't recommended. Certain 'strong dog' breeds must travel in a reinforced non-plastic crate (wood/metal/wire mesh) in the hold.
🌡️ Temperature & hold
Summer refusal above 29.5 °CWinter limits · Dec 18–Jan 4 embargo
Hold travel may be refused above 29.5 °C (85 °F); country-specific summer embargoes apply (US 1 May–30 Nov, Mexico Jul–Aug). In winter (1 Nov–31 Mar or ≤ 0 °C) pets under 4.5 kg aren't accepted in the hold, and no hold/cargo pets travel 18 Dec–4 Jan. Some aircraft holds are unheated.
📦 Check your crate size for this airline →🦮 Assistance dog
✓ In the cabin
Individually trained service dogs travel free in the cabin.
📄 Documents
Submit the service-dog form to [email protected] ≥ 48 h ahead (US routes: DOT form). Emotional-support dogs no longer qualify.
ℹ️ Good to know
🧳 Soft carriers onlySince June 2025, cabin pets must be in soft-sided carriers — hard kennels are no longer accepted in the cabin.
🔁 No codesharesPets can't travel on flights operated by other airlines; Premium Economy has no cabin pets.
⏱️ Check-inPets must be 10 weeks+; check in with an agent (no online or kiosk check-in).
🗺️ Where Air Canada flies with dogs
🧭
Where to next?
Go straight to what you need — no need to run a new search.
🛡️ Official source5 Air Canada & AC Cargo sources · last verified 11 July 2026