How in the world can we bring a large dog?

If you can get your dog to Miami, there's a company (husband and wife) called Petcargo.com that will arrange boarding, flight and drop off to Bob Lynch Moving's warehouse facility.  They use amerijet, which will fly your dog late at night from Miami to PR, then to STX in the morning.  While they are setting it all up, they will actually house your dog at their house.  They are great people and did a fantistic job of sending pics of our dog, keeping us informed, etc.  It was about 1500 to ship my dog.  That was last March when all the pet embargos started on the airplanes.  Just a thought.  A dog that big won't get to STX on any airline, only to STT due to the Jet type that flies in.  

Wow, I’m glad that worked for you but that sounds like a lot of moving parts. Guess we will have to consider it. If we can’t find a simpler way we may leave her with family and shorten our stay, as we aren’t moving permanently more a trial run while we look at houses I’ll save the big cost for when/if we move permanently.

id actually prefer to fly to STT as direct is better, hate the idea of her sitting somewhere or god forbid getting misplaced during a layover on the way to STX. now I need to find out if seaborne or the ferry will take her from STT to STX. 

@stxwishes seaborne will not.  you could charter a boat for the day, not sure if the Native son will accept pets, as I don't see anything on their website.  Possibly the QE IV ferry might accept your dog, as they accept cargo.  Good luck.

thanks for the help everyone. I confirmed that Native Son ferries will take the dog, she'll need to be in her crate but I'll have access to her and they'll ticket her as cargo but load her in an accessible area covered from the sun. so that's a huge relief that at least if we can get her in cargo to STT on a larger plane we can then give her a break for water, pottty, and a cool down before it's back in the crate on the ferry where we'll be able to see her. even if she gets a bit sea sick that's temporary and better than more serious potential issues in cargo with flying.

Now to find out which airline will be best for flights to STT, but I feel like this is probably a better option considering the hot locations of layovers like SJU or Miami from our area (NYC) to STX.

QE IV will also allow her in the crate and charge for cargo similarly. If I state she is an EA or Service dog they will allow her to travel uncrated with me and just charge cargo for the weight of the crate without the dog in it.

At least we have some sea voyage options! now to hope we can get on a B to STT at least.

1. Not that I agree with it.... For about $150 you could probably get a doctor to provide the paperwork needed and the dog can fly on any airline in the cabin with you.  Emotional service  animals are no longer allowed to fly but if they are classified as service animals they are. 

worth reading:

Service, Working,Therapy, Emotional Support Dogs: Which Is Which? (akc.org)

I have thought about classifying her as a service dog, certainly some risk as she may not be perfectly behaved and seated calmly the whole way through given she is NOT fully trained as a service dog. but perhaps the risk is worth it given all the risks that come with flying in cargo. however if i can get her in cargo on one flight to STT vs the 2 that it normally takes to get to STX, then take the ferry that sounds reasonable and at least I know she'll have a much higher chance of getting to us without issues from all the factors that go into layover, ground temps, plane size, etc.  Flights to STT are mostly boeing which allow dogs vs. the airbuses to STX and I'll avoid layovers in high temp locations. just need to hope STT is under 85 that day and try to fly in first flight in the morning perhaps.

Posted by: @stxwishes

I have thought about classifying her as a service dog, certainly some risk as she may not be perfectly behaved and seated calmly the whole way through given she is NOT fully trained as a service dog. but perhaps the risk is worth it given all the risks that come with flying in cargo. however if i can get her in cargo on one flight to STT vs the 2 that it normally takes to get to STX, then take the ferry that sounds reasonable and at least I know she'll have a much higher chance of getting to us without issues from all the factors that go into layover, ground temps, plane size, etc.  Flights to STT are mostly boeing which allow dogs vs. the airbuses to STX and I'll avoid layovers in high temp locations. just need to hope STT is under 85 that day and try to fly in first flight in the morning perhaps.

I wouldn't want to be on the flight where an untrained 'service dog' takes a shit in the aisles...again. 

Haha that is certainly not desirable! And would not be an issue. It’s more about that she’s not used to holding a down stay forr 4+ hours in a strange environment and may get restless on the flight, snd draw attention to the fact that she is not in fact a service dog from flight attendants. We’d buy out the seat to have our own row  snd she wouldn’t disturb anyone else, but definitely she is potty and obedience trained! Any dog that would shit in the aisle is not…

Posted by: @cruzaniron

I wouldn't want to be on the flight where an untrained 'service dog' takes a shit in the aisles...again. 

Now that was funny!!!!

American airlines wouldn't let me buy a seat in business class for my 60 lb. dog to travel with me when they notified me that if I wasn't on the following day's flight from STT to FL, I might not be able to fly her back with me in cargo. They were instituting the travel restrictions the next day, for pets in cargo due to covid, last March. 

She's extremely well behaved and had made 6 previous trips, back and forth and never messed in her kennel tho it often took 12 hours between getting to airport and finally getting home.

They called me at 10 PM to get to airport by noon. I wasn't supposed to leave STT for another 8 days. Crazy, mad rush to get ready to make that flight the next morning. Haven't been back to STT since. 

It was difficult enough before the restrictions to travel with a pet.

Now, it's simply extremely difficult and expensive. Luckily, I didn't have to travel this year but miss being back on island.

people with the fake emotional support dogs ruined it for those with real emotional support dogs.  i think its pretty crappy to fake a service animal. 

@speee1dy Well how the hell was I supposed to get my donkey here?  ? Just kidding, I agree.  I was leaving island for a bit and these two guys had these huge dogs, one a great dane and they were in business class.  As everyone was boarding the dogs were in the aisles as they were to big for the area between their legs.  They weren't support dogs by no means. 

I normally agree with you and would never even consider faking my Emotional SUpport dog as a service dog. but if we are moving to STX and are out of other options and cannot afford to waste multiple thousands of $ on a charter flight and cannot fly her in cargo, I don't know what other option we have. I would not ask someone to leave behind a family member, and that is not something we would consider. so it's either don't move down there, or bring the dog however we can.

not to mention my dog is a real Emotional Support animal certified by my therapist for anxiety, especially travel anxiety, which is pretty ironic now that I cant bring her as my ES on a plane. It's a real shame we have to contort the rules or even put this much thought into bringing a beloved family member. If i could fly with her safely in cargo, I would, but most flights and airlines are still not allowing that.

@daveb722lol, thank you for the laugh 

@stxwishes Like I said previously, if you can get her to Miami, then use petcargo.com, 1500 approx and no worries, my daughter and her bf just used them to fly his dog from STX to Miami then to Denver with no issues.  

current FAA/DOT rules and forms for service dogs on commercial aircraft that carry passengers.

https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/service-animals#:~:text=Under%20the%20Air%20Carrier%20Access%20Act%20%28ACAA%29%20a,physical%2C%20sensory%2C%20psychiatric%2C%20intellectual%2C%20or%20other%20mental%20disability.

I suspect there are other recommended treatments for a few hours of "travel anxiety" that don't involve dogs.

Posted by: @exit-zero

I suspect there are other recommended treatments for a few hours of "travel anxiety" that don't involve dogs.

I was thinking exactly the same thing. Sheesh.