Part XXII — Travel and transport with dogs in India

Moving a dog around India is entirely possible and routinely done, but the rules are fragmented across railways, individual airlines, state authorities, and the receiving destination — and they change. This chapter gives the framework and the paperwork; it does not quote current rules, because a stale rule is worse than no rule.

[VERIFY BEFORE RELYING] Always confirm the current requirements directly with the carrier and the relevant authority before you travel. Airline pet policies in particular change frequently and differ between carriers on the same route.

22.1 The paperwork, wherever you are going

• A current rabies vaccination certificate. This is the document you will be asked for most often, and the one whose absence stops a journey.
• A veterinary health certificate issued close to the date of travel — carriers typically require it to be recent, and will specify how recent.
• The full vaccination and deworming record.
• Identification — a collar tag with your phone number at minimum; a microchip if the dog has one, with the registration details current. A lost dog in an unfamiliar city is the real risk of travel, and identification is what recovers it.
• For international movement, an import permit and the destination country's own requirements — which can include titre testing and long lead times, sometimes months. Start early; this is not a last-minute process.

22.2 By rail

• Indian Railways does carry dogs, with the arrangements depending on the class and coach — and confirming the current provisions and booking in advance is essential, as accommodation is limited.
• Booking is a separate process from booking your own ticket, and cannot reliably be left to the platform on the day.
• Carry the health and vaccination certificates; expect to be asked.
• Bring water, a bowl, a lead, and a familiar blanket. Feed lightly before travel.
• Long journeys in heat are the real hazard — see the heatstroke entry. A closed, poorly-ventilated space in hot weather is dangerous, and this is where dogs die on journeys.

22.3 By air

• Policies differ by airline: whether pets travel in-cabin (usually small dogs within a weight limit, in an approved carrier) or in the hold as checked baggage or cargo. Confirm with the specific carrier for the specific route.
• Book the pet at the time of booking your own seat; capacity per flight is limited.
• Brachycephalic breeds — Pug, Bulldog, Boxer, Shih Tzu, Pekingese — are frequently refused carriage, particularly in the hold, and for good reason: their airways cope poorly with heat and stress, and deaths in transit are disproportionately in these breeds. If you own one, plan to travel by road, or do not travel.
• Use an airline-compliant crate, and acclimatise the dog to it over weeks, not the night before.
• Direct flights, cooler times of day, and the shortest possible ground time on the tarmac. Tarmac heat is the danger.
• Sedation for air travel is a decision for your vet, and is frequently advised against — a sedated dog regulates its temperature and airway less well. Never medicate a dog for travel on your own initiative.

22.4 By road

• Secure the dog — a crate or a harness restraint. An unrestrained dog is a projectile in a collision and a distraction before one.
• Never leave a dog in a parked car, even briefly, even in shade, even with the windows cracked. This is the single commonest cause of avoidable heatstroke death, and hot conditions make it faster and more lethal than owners expect.
• Stop every two to three hours for water and a toilet break.
• Travel in the cooler hours. Carry more water than you think you need.
• For a dog that gets carsick or panics, build up with short positive journeys long before the trip; ask the vet about options if it remains distressed.

22.5 Boarding, and leaving a dog behind

• Visit the facility unannounced before you book. Look at where the dogs actually sleep, at the ventilation and shade, and at whether the dogs there look relaxed.
• Expect a reputable boarding facility to require proof of vaccination — a facility that does not ask is telling you something about the other dogs it accepts.
• Kennel cough spreads where dogs congregate; discuss the vaccination with your vet well before boarding, not on the day.
• Leave the dog's own food, a familiar blanket, written feeding and medication instructions, your vet's number, and a signed authorisation for emergency treatment with a spending limit.
• A house-sitter in the dog's own home is often less stressful than boarding, particularly for anxious or elderly dogs.