Pets in Cargo Flying International to UK

Jennifer (from Toronto then UK and Rome) in Toronto, Ontario said:
Bear in mind that the ferry ports in France, etc., are in the north and far from the major international airports, so you have to find a way to get from the airport to port to catch your ferry. I know that all of that extra time in the carrier in various vehicles (longer flight, plus train or car to the ferry port, plus the ferry ride) and a possible overnight in a hotel would have been very difficult for my cat to handle.

An alternative to a ferry is a train through the chunnel. That's only one more transportation. The whole thing ends up seeming like that movie "Planes, Trains and Automobiles"!

Jennifer (from Toronto then UK and Rome) in Toronto, Ontario said: It's too bad you are so far from Hamilton. I used Blue Cross Animal Hospital there (they were my regular vets), and they were excellent and very reasonably priced.

We're not that far. By back roads it is less than an hour. Okay, that's an hour of three different tones of constant cat-complaining, but still...

I have to check my notes, which I left at home today. I called either the Cat Clinic or Blue Cross yesterday and got the $1500 quotation. I'm just not sure which one I contacted.

Jennifer (from Toronto then UK and Rome) in Toronto, Ontario said: Hi Kathleen,

Bear in mind that the ferry ports in France, etc., are in the north and far from the major international airports, so you have to find a way to get from the airport to port to catch your ferry. I know that all of that extra time in the carrier in various vehicles (longer flight, plus train or car to the ferry port, plus the ferry ride) and a possible overnight in a hotel would have been very difficult for my cat to handle. I don't want to discourage you - I just want to mention some more things to consider. The fact is, I don't think there is a really good solution for moving pets to the UK as long as they have these draconian rules in place :(

Hi again Kathleen,
I agree with most of what Jennifer has said. But don't worry *too* much! If it's necessary to travel with them for relocation purposes, they will adjust in time given that they're adaptable creatures. I've travelled with my cats previously so I have experience comparing methods of transport, especially between Canada/US and UK, and you're welcome to get in touch to discuss in detail. We've stayed with our 2 cats in a hotel in London on the way to Toronto and they were absolutely fine. It allowed them time to stretch their legs, check out the litter box, and have a rest. In-cabin from London to Toronto, they were completely relaxed; we checked on them repeatedly and they looked up at his from sleep as if to say, "Leave me alone." We gave them natural remedies from a holistic veterinarian to relax, designed for air travel, which worked incredibly well. Message being that it CAN be done, though it's not ideal. As long as their 2 humans are with them, they will feel relatively ok no matter if it's in a hotel room or airplane. I echo the sentiment to check with airlines regarding the maximum number of pets in cabin, but that's easy enough to do in advance (try Air Canada, they've been the best option for us).

Cheryl in Toronto, Ontario said: We gave them natural remedies from a holistic veterinarian to relax, designed for air travel, which worked incredibly well.

Where did you find a holistic vet? Even if I could only use them by email/phone, I'd love that.

Kathleen in Saint Catharines, Ontario said: We're not that far. By back roads it is less than an hour. Okay, that's an hour of three different tones of constant cat-complaining, but still...

I have to check my notes, which I left at home today. I called either the Cat Clinic or Blue Cross yesterday and got the $1500 quotation. I'm just not sure which one I contacted.

I just realized you meant $1500 for all three together. That may be about right. I'll have to sift through my old files, but I'd say that in 2007-08, Blue Cross was about $400 for all the steps, and I wouldn't be surprised if their fees have gone up over the last couple of years...

I went to the Kansas State website, and do you know you can send your samples yourself? $55 for each test, and you can put more than one sample in each FedEx pack. The third party lab is a money-grab!

Now. How do I find an easy-going vet who will prepare the sample, fill out the form then give it all to me?

Kathleen in Saint Catharines, Ontario said: Where did you find a holistic vet? Even if I could only use them by email/phone, I'd love that.

I did a lot of research... Here are some that you can contact by phone/email:
A leading expert in the field, Dr. Pitcairn: veterinaryhomeopathyconsultants.com/
www.minimum.com/bb/viewforum.php?f=42
This is the vet who helped us: www.holisticanimalmedicines.com/store/contact_us.php
And the specific product: www.holisticanimalmedicines.com/store/travel_ease_relief_car_plane_horse_float.html

Note: It's in your pet's best interest to use a homeopathic nosode before and after the rabies vaccination to combat any possible adverse reactions as it tends to be the most harsh. Also, give them supplements to boost their immune system before/after, this is most important.

Best of luck!

Cheryl in Toronto, Ontario said:
Note: It's in your pet's best interest to use a homeopathic nosode before and after the rabies vaccination to combat any possible adverse reactions as it tends to be the most harsh. Also, give them supplements to boost their immune system before/after, this is most important.

That's wonderful, Cheryl! Thank you!

Hello there! Please, please can somebody help me? At the moment I am living in Rip off Italy and am happily moving to the USA (San Diego CA) round about the end of May. I will be taking my 11 year old dog with me. Now, I had it all worked out. I was going to fly to Atlanta where my boyfriend would be waiting for me. We were going to stay the night in a hotel, to give my old girl a rest from the cage and then resume our trip to CA the day after. I was going to fly her cargo. I did the usual round of telephone calls and to my horror ended up taking to a pet shipping company. We all know how much those thieves cost. It does not say anything anywhere on any of the Delta websites about having to do everything through a pet shipping company and yet it was the man I spoke to at Delta cargo who gave me this lady's number. He said that I can't deal with them directly...what's that supposed to mean? I just have that feeling that I'm about to be ripped off. I cannot afford to pay thousands for the dog...just moving there is going to cost me a fortune. I have looked on the internet for this company SM that's what the guy said it was called and there is no mention of it anywhere!! The lady is calling me back today with information about costs ect.... I am not happy to say the least.
Can anybody give me advice on what I should do as I'm starting to get myself into a bit of state already! Thanks very much! Leah

Leah in Milan, Italy said: Hello there! Please, please can somebody help me? At the moment I am living in Rip off Italy and am happily moving to the USA (San Diego CA) round about the end of May. I will be taking my 11 year old dog with me. Now, I had it all worked out. I was going to fly to Atlanta where my boyfriend would be waiting for me. We were going to stay the night in a hotel, to give my old girl a rest from the cage and then resume our trip to CA the day after. I was going to fly her cargo. I did the usual round of telephone calls and to my horror ended up taking to a pet shipping company. We all know how much those thieves cost. It does not say anything anywhere on any of the Delta websites about having to do everything through a pet shipping company and yet it was the man I spoke to at Delta cargo who gave me this lady's number. He said that I can't deal with them directly...what's that supposed to mean? I just have that feeling that I'm about to be ripped off. I cannot afford to pay thousands for the dog...just moving there is going to cost me a fortune. I have looked on the internet for this company SM that's what the guy said it was called and there is no mention of it anywhere!! The lady is calling me back today with information about costs ect.... I am not happy to say the least.
Can anybody give me advice on what I should do as I'm starting to get myself into a bit of state already! Thanks very much! Leah

Leah, I flew with my cat 4 times with Alitalia (London-Rome, Rome-Toronto, Toronto-Rome, Rome-Toronto, and had no problems at all. All the information is on their website in both Italian and English. If your dog is small enough, he can fly in the cabin, otherwise he will need to go in cargo, but either way, there is absolutely no need to go through a third party shipping company. I know a lot of people complain about Alitalia's service, but for pet travel, they are great!

We have recently had another incident here in ATL where ramp agents opened a dog kennel, the dog escaped, and the outcome was heartbreaking (I won't go into details). Have you looked into a pet transport service? They ONLY fly pets, and offer a much safer alternative. I am a former airline employee and animal lover, and I strongly urge you to look into this.

Jennifer (formerly in London and Rome) in Toronto, Ontario said: Leah, I flew with my cat 4 times with Alitalia (London-Rome, Rome-Toronto, Toronto-Rome, Rome-Toronto, and had no problems at all. All the information is on their website in both Italian and English. If your dog is small enough, he can fly in the cabin, otherwise he will need to go in cargo, but either way, there is absolutely no need to go through a third party shipping company. I know a lot of people complain about Alitalia's service, but for pet travel, they are great!

Thanks very much for the prompt reply Jennifer! I actually called Alitalia today and the lady told me that they will take my dog as checked baggage no problem. It will cost me 200 euros! My dog is a good medium size-22kgs, so as you can see, there's no chance of her coming in the cabin with me. I must admit that I was rather shocked at Alitalia's ticket prices.... at the end of May it would cost me 2700 euros to get to Atlanta!When I fly with Delta, it usually costs 1100euros, so as you can see that is a huge difference. Now, the question is, is it better to fly her as checked baggage or send her as cargo? Is there really that much difference? I would like her to arrive the same day as me. do I really need to do it the cheapest way possible as money is tight. RJ, there are no pet airlines that I know of here in Europe and if there were I doubt very much they would do flights to America.Companies like that usually operate internally. Besides, I haven't got that kind of money! Services like that cost an arm and a leg! If I had the cash, I'd hire a private plane for her. Obviously, I have her best interest at heart as I love her dearly needless to say!From what I gather these pet shipping companies do very little and charge you ridiculous amounts of money.It's not like they have their own planes or anything..It's still the major airline companies who will fly my dog to it's destination.

Dear Leah,
you should definately take your dog as checked baggage on your flight to the US. Make sure it's a non-stop flight and once you get onboard the aircraft inform the capitan that you are the owner of the AVI-H. I'm telling you this because you really want to make sure that everything is fine. I'm a little concerned about her age... you should ask your Vet if it's better to give her something to sleep or not. I'm a former Alitalia Flight Attendant and I can assure you that even if the baggage handlers treat the animals nicely the trip will be really bad for her because the airplane is so noisy and if she is not used to that she will be really scared! I guess that you don't have any other way to get to the US so I hope you both have a good flight! :-)

Leah in Milan, Italy said: Thanks very much for the prompt reply Jennifer! I actually called Alitalia today and the lady told me that they will take my dog as checked baggage no problem. It will cost me 200 euros! My dog is a good medium size-22kgs, so as you can see, there's no chance of her coming in the cabin with me. I must admit that I was rather shocked at Alitalia's ticket prices.... at the end of May it would cost me 2700 euros to get to Atlanta!When I fly with Delta, it usually costs 1100euros, so as you can see that is a huge difference. Now, the question is, is it better to fly her as checked baggage or send her as cargo? Is there really that much difference? I would like her to arrive the same day as me. do I really need to do it the cheapest way possible as money is tight. RJ, there are no pet airlines that I know of here in Europe and if there were I doubt very much they would do flights to America.Companies like that usually operate internally. Besides, I haven't got that kind of money! Services like that cost an arm and a leg! If I had the cash, I'd hire a private plane for her. Obviously, I have her best interest at heart as I love her dearly needless to say!From what I gather these pet shipping companies do very little and charge you ridiculous amounts of money.It's not like they have their own planes or anything..It's still the major airline companies who will fly my dog to it's destination.

Dear Leah,

Buy a return ticket and only use the first portion. One-way flights ALWAYS cost a ridiculous amount for reasons I don't understand. I just priced a flight for you on the Alitalia website: a return ticket with a departure at the end of May and a supposed return in mid-October (low season) starts at just 680 euros and even the max price is just 1050 euros.

Good luck!

I wouldn't give any medications to the dog you don't know how she would react in the air. I flew my 3 dogs 9 years old each, from southamerica to the us, and like checked baggage.
ALways direct flight,we flew United, it was a 10hours flight, they were really scared but Im glad they are at home with me safely:)
Best of luck!

Francesca777 in Milan, Italy said: Dear Leah,
you should definately take your dog as checked baggage on your flight to the US. Make sure it's a non-stop flight and once you get onboard the aircraft inform the capitan that you are the owner of the AVI-H. I'm telling you this because you really want to make sure that everything is fine. I'm a little concerned about her age... you should ask your Vet if it's better to give her something to sleep or not. I'm a former Alitalia Flight Attendant and I can assure you that even if the baggage handlers treat the animals nicely the trip will be really bad for her because the airplane is so noisy and if she is not used to that she will be really scared! I guess that you don't have any other way to get to the US so I hope you both have a good flight! :-)

Thankyou soooo much for your reply! Yes, I know what you mean, I am concerned about her age too, but rest assured I think there'll be more chance of me having a heart attack than her that day. Unfortunately, I have no choice. I am getting married and the dog has to come. I'm not abandoning her after all these years. I love her dearly. I have to have faith that everything will be alright and judging by the statistics it will. She is a strong healthy dog with no problems at all. My Vet seems to think she'll be ok. I'm not sedating her. She will have her DAP collar which has calming agents in it and I will also start her on Royal canine dog food a couple of weeks before we leave. It is a special food for anxious dogs and it will help her build up a kind of long lasting calmness. Like I said in my earlier post, I'll be giving her a rest in between flights. We'll be staying in a hotel over night in Atlanta. This was planned to help with stress factors all round!I think our animals are a lot more resiliant than we think. I know it's going to be awful, but I have to have faith.

Jennifer (formerly in London and Rome) in Toronto, Ontario said: Dear Leah,

Buy a return ticket and only use the first portion. One-way flights ALWAYS cost a ridiculous amount for reasons I don't understand. I just priced a flight for you on the Alitalia website: a return ticket with a departure at the end of May and a supposed return in mid-October (low season) starts at just 680 euros and even the max price is just 1050 euros.

Good luck!

Jennifer...you are a sweetheart-you really are. How kind of you to do that for me. The price difference is unbelievable! That is totally an affordable price-you've made my day. I had no idea that booking a round trip was way cheaper!
Thank you so much you guys for taking the time to answer my posts. You wouldn't believe what a crap day I've had. I've been crying and everything. It's so frustrating sometimes here in Italy, you never seem to get a straight answer out of anyone. You're lucky if they even answer the phone to you. I've been on internet and the phone all day and concluded nothing. Then looking through my bookmarks I found your forum...I saved it months ago and in 5 or 6 posts everythings more or less sorted! I reallly appreciate your advice. God Bless you guys!

i have a baby parrot that 6 months old and before i booked my flight i was told i could take her on with me every other flight i was on i was able to but with jetblue i cant and now its like i am so upset because she is everything to me so i dont know what to do i know i been very depressed over this and when i try to cancel my flight they said that i cant get my money back well i dont go any place with out her because i would be so lost with out her im trying to find someone that maybe can help me with this or tell me what i can do she is like my kid

i have a baby parrot that 6 months old and before i booked my flight i was told i could take her on with me every other flight i was on i was able to but with jetblue i cant and now its like i am so upset because she is everything to me so i dont know what to do i know i been very depressed over this and when i try to cancel my flight they said that i cant get my money back well i dont go any place with out her because i would be so lost with out her im trying to find someone that maybe can help me with this or tell me what i can do she is like my kid

You should cancel the flight, cut your losses, and find a flight you can take your parrot on. There's no other option, love. Best wishes.

CD in Toronto, Ontario said: You should cancel the flight, cut your losses, and find a flight you can take your parrot on. There's no other option, love. Best wishes.

I'm not sure that is the only option. The first thing I would do, is speak with someone else at JetBlue. If that doesn't work, speak with someone else higher up. Keep doing this as long as your patience holds out, and if anyone says you can bring your bird in the cabin with you, get their name and get it in writing.

Second, I would find out about her travelling in baggage or cargo on the same flight.

If none of this works, I would call whoever you bought the bird from. I suspect there may be alternative ways of transporting a bird so she could meet you at your destination.

Katrhleen in Thorold, Ontario said: I went to the Kansas State website, and do you know you can send your samples yourself? $55 for each test, and you can put more than one sample in each FedEx pack. The third party lab is a money-grab!

Now. How do I find an easy-going vet who will prepare the sample, fill out the form then give it all to me?

Just fcr the sake of saying it, I convinced a vet to take the samples, do the paperwork and give them to me, and I sent them to Kansas State myself. One courier package. The cost of the actual titer test went up a bit, but all in all, it cost me about $110 per cat, and there was no problem. (And they passed with flying colours, too!)

Been reading these posts on here with a heavy heart - you guys are so concerned about all your babies, which is amazing, but sad that the Laws are the way they are..
I have 3 cats and little dog and going back to UK from Spain with them (the 'PAIN' in Spain bein the reason....
But I have been given great advice from my Vet - buy some Bach Rescue Remedy and rub a couple of drops into your cat/dogs ears few times before the flight/shipment - it DOES WORK! Its totally natural and i have already done this with my lot and they do seem very calm and chilled!
I wish you all the best of LUCK! its a true saying, you always hear of someone worse off than yourself - thank God my trip from Spain to Uk is relatively easy, especially now since they have changed the laws for Rabies - only now need micropchip and injection, and can travel 21 days later! This comes into force from 1st January 2012- check out DEFRA's website for the update

Been reading these posts on here with a heavy heart - you guys are so concerned about all your babies, which is amazing, but sad that the Laws are the way they are..
I have 3 cats and little dog and going back to UK from Spain with them (the 'PAIN' in Spain bein the reason....
But I have been given great advice from my Vet - buy some Bach Rescue Remedy and rub a couple of drops into your cat/dogs ears few times before the flight/shipment - it DOES WORK! Its totally natural and i have already done this with my lot and they do seem very calm and chilled!
I wish you all the best of LUCK! its a true saying, you always hear of someone worse off than yourself - thank God my trip from Spain to Uk is relatively easy, especially now since they have changed the laws for Rabies - only now need micropchip and injection, and can travel 21 days later! This comes into force from 1st January 2012- check out DEFRA's website for the update

I have 2 puppies that need to go in-cabin from SFA to Warsaw, Poland and 1 to return here to SFO. Are there any stewardesses or stewards interested in hand carrying them for a fee or know of anyone? Please email me privately: maltaangel@gmail.com

Jennifer in Parker, Colorado said: We are relocating to the UK and have two small dogs that need to go with us.
They cannot go cabin when flying International.
I am terrified to have them fly in cargo. I worry of their stress and that they will get sick.
Please tell me your real thoughts on small dogs in cargo. It's from Houston or Dallas to Gatwick or Heathrow. IS IT SAFE? There are not too many complaints, but then again, not everyone complains.
Thanks,
Jen

I flew a small dog to the uk and then back to the usa through air cargo and GATWICK airport. They no longer allow you to arrange this on your own and require you to use a pet service. I had no problem other than my dog being nervous and she wouldnt not pee for a day after the flight (she wasnt drinking or eating on the flight)

mel in Brierley Hill, United Kingdom said: I flew a small dog to the uk and then back to the usa through air cargo and GATWICK airport. They no longer allow you to arrange this on your own and require you to use a pet service. I had no problem other than my dog being nervous and she wouldnt not pee for a day after the flight (she wasnt drinking or eating on the flight)

Absolutely correct. Whatever the rules are re flying pets in the country you are LEAVING FROM - if your destination is the UK - their draconian rules apply. And yes they have now added in another layer of rigmarole with you having to use a pet transport agent. And yes, they have to fly World Cargo.

If you are using British Airways - it would behove you to try to make sure your pet is actually on the plane before it takes off. They lost my dog when I flew her to Cyprus. She was left behind on the tarmac and could have frozen to death if she hadn't been noticed and taken to an animal holding centre. It was early Feb and absolutely freezing in the UK and she was not a dog to make a fuss or a noise - a gentle little CKC spaniel.

Jennifer in Parker, Colorado said: Because going into the UK, dogs no matter what size, unless they are service dogs, are not allowed, period, in cabin. There are only a few routes that use the Pet Travel Scheme so the airlines you can use to travel with a dog are limited as well. If I don't use British or Continental, my dogs would have to go into six month quarantine. It is difficult getting to UK, different rules totally.

HI I am moving back to the UK and I know that the law has changed as of the 1 January that they do not have to go into quarantine anymore and I am flying from Miami. I know this is not what you asked but just something I found out from a pet travel company and also called the UK to make sure

I have checked again in the last few days and it seems that though you DO have to use a pet export company, some airlines qualify as pet export companies. This has cheered me up but I believe the dog still has to go World Cargo in the hold if the UK is the destination. I will look for the link I was given - it is a list of their approved pet travel companies.

Does anyone know the rules if I flew my dogs into france from the USA and then brought them into the UK? France has the same microchip/rabies laws as the UK but it seems Air France will allow you to fly with small pets in the cabin and at a much lower rate.

Mayb in Kirkcaldy, United Kingdom said: Does anyone know the rules if I flew my dogs into france from the USA and then brought them into the UK? France has the same microchip/rabies laws as the UK but it seems Air France will allow you to fly with small pets in the cabin and at a much lower rate.

Hi, I found that Cyprus Airways also would allow me to fly from Cyprus with my tiny dog in the cabin. However, when it came to UK destinations, wherever you are flying FROM, it stated that the UK rules apply - i.e. pet has to go world cargo?

I was peeved about this but at least have discovered that I do not have to use an outside agency approved pet carrier because Cyprus Airways is included in the list of approved pet air transport companies(so are some other airlines).

archive.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/documents/pets-air-transport-companies.pdf

Here's what Cyprus Airways say about it:

"Carriage of Pets in Cabin
For the carriage of pets in cabin the following regulations apply:
Only cats, dogs and some species of birds up to 8 kilos may be carried in Cabin.
... The maximum weight of the pet and container (combined) shall not exceed 8 Kgs
The pet shall be accompanied by its owner.
... Pets travelling with passengers must be checked in at the ticket counter.
Please allow extra time beyond normal check-in guidelines

All pets from / to UK have to be carried as Cargo due to U.K. regulations & procedures"

I haven't reproduced all the regs (but my dog complies with them all - weighs under 4kg - I will be accompanying it etc.

It's that LAST bit. Right at the bottom of the checklist - about UK destination that is the stinker.

Michelle in Miami in Hollywood, Florida said: HI I am moving back to the UK and I know that the law has changed as of the 1 January that they do not have to go into quarantine anymore and I am flying from Miami. I know this is not what you asked but just something I found out from a pet travel company and also called the UK to make sure

Michelle I am currently in the process of bringing my dogs to the UK from the US. I'm researching everything I can to fly them in the cabin with me from Texas to France and then by ferry or Eurotunnel into the UK.

If you would like to discuss the steps or have someone to talk to during the process please feel free to email me! bmkruse@austin.rr.com

I am flying my westie to Bermuda with ba and wondered if anyone has used or heard of 'airpaws' this is one of the companies that specialise in door to door service of pets travelling abroad. Feeling really anxious about the whole process.

Lisa - Hi, regarding the using of a pet transport company - this is how I see it. I will use one if I am forced to but ... from what I've seen myself at the airport when doing it myself - there is NOTHING different about the way your pet will be handled, put on and taken off the aircraft because you used one of these companies.

The difference is just that they will do all the required paperwork and ensure you meet ALL the requirements (I was told when enquiring that this is why BA insist on it now and pets having to go world cargo - too many passenger/owners were just not getting it all done correctly?)

But once at world cargo (certainly in the UK) the pets are just checked in and left there in their crates/cages along with all those whose owners 'did it themselves'. I've seen them there - I actually asked about 2 westies who were there with no apparent 'accompanying person' when I arrived with my own dog at the appointed time of 4.30am.

I was told the pet travel company dropped them earlier (well, obviously to me, they would have dropped them off the previous day - I doubt they will travel thro the middle of the night to drop them in the early hours).

The pets in question would then (obviously) be spending a LOT MORE TIME crated up - before they are even put on a plane. They will most likely have been in their crates since the owner put them in before taking them or handing them over to the pet transport company.

Whereas, as the owner, I would not put my dog in the crate until the very last minute when I had to. They already have to be at the airport at least 1 or 2 hours for checkin before passengers do and obviously not collected until after you've got your bags etc. Even for HRW to Cyprus this meant that what was a 5 hr incarceration in a plane cabin for me meant at least a 10 hour imprisonment in a crate for my dog - and because BA forgot to load her it turned into TWO DAYS.

Wow, what an interesting thread!

I am planning on moving back to Australia (from Sweden) in about 6 months with my partner. We adopted some rescue kittens last year and I have become so attached to them that I just can't leave them behind.

Unfortunately, Australia has even more draconian rules than UK! Animals have to go in cargo and there is obviously no option to transit through another close by country (such as in EU). After receiving astronomical quotes from pet agents, I managed to find a freight company that operates out of Copenhagen that will fly them both for 700 AUD (about 700 USD or 450 pounds) which I was very happy with.

However, I am extremely concerned about the long time of the trip and their transit in Bangkok. They are flying SAS to Bangkok and Thai to Aus. Does anyone have any experience doing long trips like this? Were your animals ok? The company we are using have assured me they will be given lots of water and taken to the cargo terminal (and not left on the tarmac) in transit.

Also, the cats are sisters and get along great. I initially wanted to have them both in the same crate so they can comfort each other. But I have read a lot of pet 'incidents' on flights (in the US) have occurred when there have been two in one cage. What would you guys recommend? Is it better for them to be together and be comforted or for them to be separate and have their own space?

Thank you sooo much in advance, I have been tearing my hair out about this!

I am trying to find info on taking my dog from Scotland to south Africa.

The import/export/vets and relevant paperwork are straight forwards BUT I can not seem to find an airline that would book an actual flight for my dog. They all say on their websites is okay as manifesto cargo, but calling to book the flight it then does not seem possible!! Going from heathrow it say that they dont deal with the public in regards to these kinda cargo and I must use a transporter. HELP