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✈️ The Full Breakdown of Shipping 2 GSDs & 2 Cats Internationally
As promised, I’m diving into the pricing and experience of flying our pets back to the U.S. We had two German Shepherds and two cats traveling with us, and if you’re planning an international move with pets—especially during a PCS—this will give you a realistic idea of what to expect.
🐾 Our Four Travelers
- Jasmine – 12-year-old female GSD (~70 lbs)
- Zeus – 1-year-old male GSD (just under 100 lbs)
- Kitty – 7 lbs
- Nala – 9 lbs
Crates (Purchased in 2021 – Utah)
When we first moved to the UK, we had custom wooden crates made in Utah, built exactly for our two large dogs. Those were $500 each, and thankfully we were able to reuse them this time.
We still had one Petmate crate, so we only had to purchase one additional small cat crate.
🐕🦺 How Pet Cargo Works With AA at Heathrow
With American Airlines, you don’t drop your pets off at the airport terminal. Heathrow uses AirPets (the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre), and you must take your pets there for:
- Weigh-in
- Crate compliance
- Check-in
- Health certificate + fit-to-fly (optional service)
- Mandatory AA paperwork
- Transport to the aircraft
They also offer optional services we chose this time, because with the flight at 10 AM and our drive being over 2 hours from our home near Lakenheath, the logistics would have been a nightmare if we didn’t.
AirPets also handles health certificates and fit-to-fly checks, which were actually slightly cheaper than our local vet—and way easier when dealing with four animals at once.
💷 Exact Costs from AirPets (Directly From the Invoices)
Invoice 1 – Jasmine, Kitty, Nala
📄 Total Due: £1,725
Breakdown:
- Weight Charge: £1,060
- Handling Fee: £390
- VSC Fee: £21
- Preboarding Fee: £35
- Health Certificate + Fit-to-Fly Exams: £144
- Doc Fee: £0
- Misc (crate-related): £75 (for our 2nd cat)
Invoice 2 – Zeus
📄 Total Due: £2,146.36
Breakdown:
- Weight Charge: £1,340
- Handling Fee: £130
- VSC Fee: £14
- Preboarding Fee: £35
- Health Certificate + Fit-to-Fly: £48
- Doc Fee: £60
- Collection from just outside RAF Lakenheath: £259.36
- Overnight Boarding: £260
We split these into two invoices since there is now a reimbursement for one pet. This will make it easier to submit in the travel voucher.
💰 Grand Total Paid to AirPets:
£3,871.36
And that does not include the original cost of our custom crates, which were $1,000 total—but thankfully reused.
Health Requirements You MUST Know
For Dogs:
- CDC Rabies Import Form (you must do this on the CDC site)
- Valid rabies vaccine (within the required timeline)
- Microchip
- Fit-to-fly + Health Certificate
- Airline paperwork
For Cats:
- Microchip
- Rabies
- Fit-to-fly + Health Certificate
If your pet needs a rabies booster before flying, plan far in advance—the waiting period can delay everything.
🎒 Crate Preparation: What We Actually Did
We kept the same system from our 2021 move:
- Put required food amounts in Ziplocs, inside dry bags
- Attached food bags & leashes with carabiners to the crate
- Collars removed before flight
- Installed bowls (AirPets replaced ours to meet new regulations)
- Reinforced crate doors with extra zip ties
- Ensured ventilation holes, measurements, and hardware met updated standards
Regulations have changed since 2021, so AirPets adjusted several items at drop-off.
⭐ Planning Tip:
Start looking into pet travel 6 months out.
And remember:
The first pet is the most expensive.
Each additional pet raises the cost, but nowhere near as drastically as the initial cargo space reservation.
🚙 Turo Vehicle Damage Claim – The Reality
Before we even arrived stateside, a renter dented and scratched our 2021 Ram 2500. She admitted to it but then kept making excuses about why she couldn’t provide her insurance info.
Turo suggested we “work with the guest” because their deductible is so high. But with the renter suddenly refusing to cooperate, we escalated it.
Here’s what happened:
- Our shop estimate: just under $1,500
- Turo’s estimate (only using photos): under $780
- After our $750 deductible, we got…
👉 $18
- Support replies: mostly generic
- Supplemental estimate: possible, but the vehicle must remain at the shop once approved
- Since we’re mid-PCS, we simply don’t have the time to leave our only vehicle anywhere
Once we’re in Virginia, we’ll try again.
The only other damage claim we’ve ever dealt with was through Outdoorsy for our camper, and it was way less stressful. They actually use the renter’s insurance. Turo’s process feels backwards, and we’ll be looking at other options moving forward.
🚐 Camper Work Before the Tow
We’re also getting the camper back to our standard before towing it across states with us. So far, we’ve replaced:
- Both batteries
- The electric tongue jack
More parts are arriving this week, and there are still a few repairs we want to finish before leaving.
🏡 Home Build & Closing Update
We’re patiently waiting for our closing date. With everything our inspector found, the builder has been working through a lot of fixes.
Even for a brand-new build, there were several issues—so I’m incredibly grateful we invested in an inspection. The builder is correcting everything, but because of that, we’re basically looking at being right up against the 30-day mark from offer accepted.
We’re excited to get the keys, wrap up this PCS, and settle into what will become home.
🏡 Property Spotlight – Our Mundford Home Now Available for Rent
If you’re stationed at RAF Lakenheath, RAF Feltwell or RAF Mildenhall, or you know someone arriving soon, our beautiful home in Mundford is officially available for rent.
This is the same home we lived in for years, and it has been incredibly well maintained, with features that are hard to find in this area:
⭐ Property Highlights
- 5 bedrooms, including a spacious loft
- Garage + driveway parking
- Large garden with koi pond
- All appliances included (washer, dryer, dishwasher, water softener, etc.)
- Pets allowed
- Available now
- 5-minute walk to Thetford Forest
- School, pub, restaurants, and village shop all within walking distance
- 15 minutes to Lakenheath & Feltwell
This home has been such a blessing for our family and offers the perfect balance of village living, convenience, and space for anyone stationed locally.
🔗 View the full listing + photos on Rightmove:
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/168259280
If you know anyone PCSing in or looking for a family-friendly rental close to base, please feel free to pass this along!
❤️ Thank You & One More Shoutout
A final plug for TransGlobal Auto Logistics — I cannot recommend them enough. They have been the easiest and most transparent part of this entire PCS. If you’re a military family moving vehicles overseas, they truly look out for you.
And as always:
✨ Every click on my socials helps.
✨ Every share supports this newsletter and our partnerships.
Thank you for following along during the most chaotic move we’ve had yet. More updates—including the full military vehicle shipping breakdown—will be in the next issue.
🔗 go.tgal.us/kimber-news
🔗go.tgal.us/kimber 💬 Use code PATHFINDER for $50 off any shipment
🔗 Stay in the Loop
I can’t wait to bring you along as we make this transition—new home, new land, new opportunities to turn every step into progress.
👀 Until then, you can explore past issues, digital downloads, and more right here:
👉 https://linktr.ee/Thepathlessjourney
Until next time, keep building, keep learning, and keep finding your path. - Kimber
