Why the Canada route is bad for your pet — and what we do instead
The standard Australia-to-South America route used by most pet transport agencies goes: Australia → USA → Canada → South America. That typically means 4 to 5 separate flights, extended layovers across multiple countries, and a total transit time of 40–60+ hours.
When we were planning to move our own Cirneco dell'Etna dogs from Australia to Colombia, we looked at this route and immediately rejected it on welfare grounds. That many connections, that much time in a cargo hold across multiple handoffs, is not something we were willing to put our animals through.
We did the research. We found a routing that takes two flights and one overnight Airbnb stay — total transit time for the dog dramatically shorter, fewer handoffs, and a much calmer arrival. We've since replicated this for clients moving pets to Colombia and other South American destinations.
Route comparison
| Route | Flights | Countries transited | Est. total time in transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Canada routing | 4–5 flights | Australia, USA, Canada, Colombia | 40–60+ hours |
| Rosardi direct route | 2 flights + 1 overnight | Australia, USA, Colombia | ~24 hours total |
Timing estimates vary by specific destination city, airline schedules, and season. Contact us for a current routing specific to your pet and timeline.
Countries we cover in South America
- Colombia — our most-travelled route; ICA import permit required
- Brazil — MAPA (Ministry of Agriculture) health certificate required; complex documentation
- Argentina — SENASA health certificate; good routing via Miami or LA
- Chile — SAG permit; one of South America's cleaner processes
- Peru, Ecuador, Uruguay — available; contact us for current requirements
Requirements vary significantly by country. Some require government-endorsed health certificates, import permits applied for months in advance, and specific approved ports of entry. Rosardi checks current requirements for your specific destination before any planning begins.
General requirements (Colombia example)
The following applies to Colombia — requirements for other countries vary, but this gives a typical picture:
What Rosardi manages for you
- Route optimisation — we will not book the Canada route unless it is genuinely the only option
- Import permit applications for your specific destination country
- Government-endorsed health certificate preparation
- Flight booking on the best available routing
- IATA crate preparation, labelling, and food/water
- Pre-travel health check and boarding in Melbourne
- Overnight stay coordination where required on route
- Photo updates at every stage — including during the overnight stop