Beach access & Flying with Dogs

Hey everyone. I've been on this site for quite some time asking questions here and there but I'm finally getting everything in order and moving down in September! My boyfriend and I as well as our dogs will be relocating from Canada to POP (Cabarete, Sosua area). I'm wondering if anyone knows of a place near beach access or if anyone can point me in the right direction/area... ideally not one next to tourist dense/hotel beaches.

We don't necessarily need to be on the beach since we will need a fenced in yard for the dogs but somewhere we would have easy assess.

ALSO, I have so many questions about flying with dogs. I know all of the paperwork involved and I understand where they are in the plane but it's the before flight and after that I'm worried about. I've never put my dogs in cargo and I'm worried they will overheat (I know that airlines will not fly with animals above or below certain temperatures) or be forgotten, after all, luggage gets misplaced all the time. If anyone is a regular traveler from Toronto Pearson to POP, I could really use some peace of mind

Thanks so much for the ongoing posts, it's taught me a ton.

@Julia Palumbo I'll let you know how it goes as I leave from Pearson on May 13th!!!  I have a dog and two cats coming with me. How did you find out all that was needed for them paperwork-wise?  I've been trying to find out and I'm afraid I don't have everything I need in regards to vaccinations for them, paperwork etc…

I don't normally do this but I will suggest a Facebook group for you about animals. There are many in the group who know the rules and how it works really well.  DCDR - Dogs and Cats Dominican Republic they are a big well known group who do really good work here. Look for them on FB.


In terms of where to live many recommend boots on the ground. Sosua to Cabarete is a pretty large area.  Many can give you feedback on the various areas. Then you need to come and check things out, walk or drive neighborhoods etc to see what works for you! Staying a couple weeks in a dog friendly short term rental will allow you to find what might work for you longer term!

@devaneely SOOOO much time online, searching everything out, it's super overwhelming and there's a lot of conflicting information. I've been down once with one of my dogs already.

I went to my vet and updated rabies and any necessary vaccines. I got a written letter from my vet saying their shots were up to date. Then, less than 7 days before my flight, I had to get my dog checked by a vet and from there bring that info to the Canada food and inspection agency for them to certify that everything was in order. I also had all of my paperwork in both English and Spanish to avoid any issues. When I got there, I had to pay a fee (which I don't remember but it wasn't anything worth note).

I hope I'm not forgetting anything

PLEASE keep me posted on how it goes for you

@planner That's exactly our plan. Rent something for a month and in that time search around. Thank you for the FB group suggestion. As of right now this is the biggest stressor.

@Julia Palumbo thank you! How did you get the paperwork in Spanish?

@devaneely There's an option to print it in English or Spanish right from the Canadian Food and Inspection agency. Anything from my vet I just translated myself

DCDR might be able to help, but they mostly have experience getting dogs out of the DR, not in! Even if they can't help you, they are a great organization to get involved with down here! They have groups throughout the country, including here in Las Terrenas where I am, but their main shelter is in Luperon, Puerto Plata.