Transporting my pets to Latin America

Question
Hi Rachel!
My boyfriend and I are moving to Guatemala next September. We will be in school in Mexico during the summer and then travelling by bus to Guatemala. We have a cat and a dog that our parents will watch for us while we are in school and then we want to have them sent to us when we are settled in Guat. I guess we're planning on having them sent to us as cargo but I'm really worried it! We would wait until fall so it would be cool, but I'm worried about it being traumatic for them-especially our dog. We would be devastated if anything were to happen to them or if they were lost, but I can't imagine moving without them. We thought about waiting and having our families bring them  when they come visit, but the risk is the same really because they wouldn't be carry-on. Is it safe and humane to ship our pets? Thanks!

Answer
Hi Jamie,

Thanks for your inquiry!  You don't mention what sort of dog you have, but as long as your dog and cat are both in good health and not snub-nosed (like a Pug, English Bulldog, etc.) the risk is relatively low for your pets traveling.  
The main thing is to find an airline that will keep your pets in climate control the entire time.  We use Continental almost exclusively because they have a pet safe program where they keep pets in climate control.  
We have more information regarding shipping pets as cargo on our FAQs on our website, which you can see here:
http://petrelocation.com/faq.php?faqId=7

Happy travels & wagging tails!
Kind regards,
Rachel Farris
rachel@petrelocation.com