A puppy leaving Sweden travels on three documents: an export certificate signed by a veterinarian, a rabies vaccination recorded in the passport, and whatever health certificate the country of destination demands. The veterinarian signs, the kennel hands over pedigree and microchip papers, and the buyer receives written notice of export. Who travels with an animal in the hold is a separate matter, and the horse trade has answered it for decades: a groom or a professional shipper, never the animal alone. The Air Horse Ledger sets out the jet stall itself, the first loading at departure, in-flight hay and water, and the export health certificate, blood tests and CEM quarantine that follow a horse onto the tarmac.

What papers does a puppy need to leave Sweden?

A puppy leaving Sweden travels on paper before it travels on anything else. The export certificate comes first, issued by a veterinarian after a clinical examination, and it names the dog, the microchip, the kennel, and the destination. Without it, no carrier loads the crate.

Rabies vaccination is the fixed point. The vaccine is given after twelve weeks of age, never before, and at least twenty-one days must pass before the day of travel. The date goes into the passport by hand, legible, with the vaccine batch and the veterinarian's stamp. A puppy vaccinated too early, or too close to the flight, stays home.

For another EU country, an EU pet passport is enough. The passport carries the microchip number, the rabies entry, and the veterinarian's signature. For a destination outside the EU, the buyer must check the import rules of that country before the deposit is paid. Some ask for an import permit. Some ask for a rabies titer blood test, drawn at a laboratory approved for the purpose, with a waiting period after vaccination that can run to three months. The timing window is narrow and it is not negotiable.

Alongside the veterinary papers, the kennel supplies the pedigree, the microchip details, and a written notice of export to the buyer. That notice states the date, the carrier, the flight number, and the name of the person who meets the puppy at arrival. We keep a copy in the kennel book, next to the litter record.

The health certificate for the destination country is a separate sheet from the export certificate, and some countries want it issued within a few days of departure. A veterinarian who knows the route prepares both at once. The buyer receives the originals, never photocopies, and carries them in hand luggage, not in the crate.

Who travels with an animal in the hold?

In air transport, animals in the hold are usually accompanied by a groom or handler only for horses. For dogs and cats, they travel alone unless a special arrangement is made. Airlines may allow a groom to fly with horses on cargo flights, but this is rare for small animals. For puppies, the kennel often books a pet transport service that handles check-in and collection. The captain and ground staff monitor the hold's temperature and ventilation, but no one is physically with the animal during the flight. Some airlines offer a pet in cabin option for small dogs, but this depends on the carrier and route.

How are horses moved by air?

Horses fly in jet stalls, which are specialized containers that allow them to stand facing forward or backward. The first loading at departure is critical: horses are walked into the stall and secured with partitions and head ties. Cargo routes are chosen based on the type of freighter door, as some stalls require nose-loading. In-flight welfare includes hay, water, and temperature control in the hold; sedation is usually avoided and left to the veterinarian if needed. Export certificates, blood tests with strict windows, and quarantine are standard for horses. A groom often travels with the horse to monitor its condition during the flight.

What can kennels learn from horse transport?

The horse world has moved animals across borders for a century longer than the dog world, and its habits are worth copying. Start the paperwork early. A rabies titer takes weeks to return, and an import permit for the destination country can take as long again. Kennels that wait until the litter is eight weeks old lose flights. Book the titer at the same time as the first vaccination, and file the permit application while the dam is still in whelp. Use a transport service that knows the route and the animal. A horse shipper knows which airports have a livestock handler, which hold is temperature controlled, and where a delay will strand the animal. The same service can be used for a puppy. The hold must be ventilated and kept within a narrow temperature band, as with horses. A puppy in a crate on a tarmac in February is a different risk from a horse in a padded stall, but the principle holds: the animal must not sit in weather. Send a familiar item with the puppy. A horse travels with hay from its home stable; a puppy travels with a cloth that smells of the dam and the litter. It costs nothing and it reduces stress. Keep a detailed record of the journey for the new owner, as a groom does for a horse. Note the times of feeding, watering, and rest, and the condition of the crate on arrival. The buyer reads that record in the first week, when the puppy is unsettled and the kennel is far away.

What does the kennel's notice of export look like?

The notice of export is a single sheet, dated, and it goes with the puppy. It carries the microchip number, the date of the rabies vaccination, and the details of the export certificate, including the issuing authority and the certificate number. It states the flight number, the departure and arrival times, and the name of the transport agent who will meet the crate. A copy of the pedigree and the health records is attached. The buyer is told of any quarantine requirement at the destination, with the number of days and the address of the facility if one is named. The kennel provides a contact number for the day of travel, and that number is answered. The sheet is written in the same plain form as the rest of the kennel's papers: no promises, no estimates of adult size, no claims about temperament. It records what was done and when. If the flight is delayed, the kennel calls the buyer before the buyer calls the kennel. The notice is kept by the buyer, and a copy stays in the kennel's file with the litter record. In time, that copy answers questions about the dog's early weeks that no memory can answer.