Moving dogs from USA to costa rica

When I researched this I found airlines will not fly dogs in the cargo hold during warmer months at certain airports. There is a max temp limit. They also have a list of certain aircraft models they will not transport dogs because the planes do not have a climate controlled hold.

Most airlines fly dogs as long as the above criteria are met. Usually $200 or so per dog.

Try Avianca. They are a Colombian airline. Their website allows you to see where they fly out of. I'm not sure if they fly from a US city directly to CR but they do fly to Mexico City and then onto San Jose from there. I would try to book flights at night to reduce the heat when on the tarmac waiting to unload or take off and your dogs will be accustomed to sleeping that time of day. Do not sedate them as they should be able to stand in their crate to handle turbulence. Imagine a dog knocked out sleeping and getting slammed around in their cage on their ribs etc.

Finally be careful of dangers in Costa Rica for your house pet. Even though they are large GSDs there are a lot of territorial dogs on the streets on CR and unsupervised dogs on the beach that might be aggressive. Depending on the season some toads can come out apparently in great numbers and are very poisonous to dogs.

Good luck and please post back how you got them there and your experience in CR with the pups:)

In 2017 I flew my dog from the US to SJO.  There are significant rules that are required to do this in terms of dates/vet appointments, overnight mail to and back from the USDA.  I flew via American Air.  The cost was around $200.  There is a cutoff date around April due to weather.  My memory is the temp at any layover site cannot exceed 80 degrees.  My layover was in DFW so that was the reason for the April or May limit to travel.

There are significant rules you will need to meet to get your pups down here. Specific dates for vet appointments, specific sizes for kennel cages permitting your dogs to stand up completely.  Overnight and return overnight prepaid envelopes to get your approved dog certificate of health / rabies free pooch. etc.

If you have already spoken to AA I would suggest you make a new call and find someone who knows the rules etc.  These days phone reps and call centers are full of people who don't know of what they speak.

@sporto505 I took my dog from Canada by AA in august 2020, in the cabin. Just usual requirements to enter CR with vaccination (not covid), and AA form to be filled indicating that this was a service dog and you are responsible for the mess a dog can cause. If your dog isn't trained or smart, you'll have issues. It was easy to me.

@laurenqmeeks Copa Airline will cargo large dogs out of Orlando.  Its not cheap and you have to have all your paperwork done.

rules changed extensively during COVID.  you are right most airlines do not accept dogs in cargo hold (other than military relocation and some special circumstances).  we are using a private service.  It's $3000/dog but they do all the work other than the vaccinations, etc. that we need to do.

$3,000 is about right these days. In 2005, our Labrador cost $2,300 to ship from Detroit to San Jose. Pricey, to be sure, but it came off without a hitch.

Have you thought about getting your dogs certified as service animals?  If you do this, then the show the paperwork at the ticketing counter inside the terminal and they are let onto the plane w/o problems or any airline fees.  Might be a cheaper route.

Plus there are a lot of rules/regs with vaccinations.  Talk to a vet who is certified for prepping animals for international travel.  Each country is a little different.  You're looking at $200 - $300 for this preparation...and it must be done within 10 - 20 days (i think) of your arrival into the country.

The incubation period for rabies is 30 days. To import a dog (and maybe a cat), your animal must have been vaccinated at least 30 days before its arrival in Costa Rica but less than a year before that arrival date.

Costa Rica only recognizes a one-year rabies vaccination, so even if your dog received a three-year vaccination (say) 15 months ago, it will ha have to be revaccinated to be allowed in.

@laurenqmeeks I am moving to CR with my 4 dogs and have been in touch with Alaska Airlines. It costs $100 per dog. Kennel and dog must weigh under 150 ponds. Check their site for exact kennel measurements allowed.