FAQ

No, we will move all pets and small domestic animals. We move all types of dogs from poodle puppies, to working dogs, pig dogs, greyhounds and of course your family pets. We also move cats, chooks, pigs, ducks, goats, sheep, birds, guinea pigs and lizards. We will happily transport all small domestic animals although there may be some special requirements or limitations on Native animals or livestock, check our livestock info page further details. click here to go to small livestock transport services

We try to walk dogs and puppies approximately 3 times a day. If you do not wish for your puppy to be walked, please make sure you let us know. Cats are not typically removed from their cages during transport but are provided with a small litter tray which is cleaned or replaced regularly.

Puppies and kittens are fed morning and night, very small pups will have food at all times. Adult dogs and cats are fed each evening.

Animals are provided with water continuously throughout the entire journey, this is typically checked at least every couple of hours.

For dogs and puppies we feed “A La Carte, All Life Stages & Puppy, Lamb & Rice” Dry Food, plus various wet food options for fussy eaters.

Dogmovers primarily transport pets by road in our fleet of Specially fitted out Vans and custom made dog floats. Our vehicles have permanent built in cages to keep the animals separated and safe and we typically use fresh clean straw as bedding on longer services with Vetbed being used for smaler animals on shorter services. All animals have continuous access to water and are fed and exercised as is appropriate to their individual needs.

Were your booking also includes a flight we primarily work with Virgin Airlines and only book animals on single sector flights to avoid uncertain stopovers. 

Senior pets can have special or specific needs or may face additional health risks during transport.

The exact age at which your pet may be considered too old however is very much dependant on your pets breed and its general health rather than a specific age. Larger breed dogs may be considered old at 8 – 10 years while smaller breeds may be more likely to be considered old from around 10 – 12 years.

A 10 – 12 year old dog, depending on his size and individual variation, is roughly the equivalent of a 60 – 90 year old person.

Often, older dogs and cats have one or more chronic health conditions which may or may not be affected by travel and the risks associated increase with the duration of travel. Some conditions may suggest an increased risk during a lengthy road trip whereas others may present a specific risk during flights. On the other hand, your pet may still be in excellent physical shape despite its years. Additionally you need to consider whether your pet takes medications at intervals that might conflict with the travel schedule?

In all cases, if you are unsure, discuss the issue with your vet and with our customer service team. In the case of older pets with chronic conditions we would recommend that you consider utilising our Premium or Priority services rather than the standard Express service so that we can ensure the driver has additional time to tend to your pets individual needs. These trips are more expensive but are more personalised with fewer animals or in some cases only your own and may give you significantly more peace of mind for the trip.

Dogmovers utilise a range SUV’s, Vans, Small Buses and custom made dog floats. All vehicles and Floats have permanent built in cages to keep the animals separated and safe.

While other transporters mayspecifically advertise that they do not use trailers, in many cases these are businesses that move primarily small dogs or puppies or a very limited number of animals. Dogmovers often has a much wider range of animals on board including larger hunting and working dogs or others for whom a trailer can be a more appropriate solution for Interstate Transport.

As one of Australia’s longest serving and most experienced Interstate Pet Transporters we believe that well designed floats can provide a more manageable environment than vans in many situations including better insulation, enhanced airflow and a calmer travel experience for many pets. These factors are never more evident than in emergencies or during breakdowns when an otherwise well set up Vans Air Conditioning system may be unable to function and animals on board can quickly overheat before assistance arrives.

While all of Dogmovers services do include air conditioning we do not advertise this as a special feature. We also cannot guarantee that your pet will travel in Air conditioning due to the need to change vehicles or floats due to maintenance requiremants or due to inevitable breakdowns. Most pets do not need and are not better off being transported in a fully Air conditioned environment. However if your pet is in a category where this is required such as being affected by BOAS or being an older pet, please ask about our Premium and Priority services which are undertaken in specialty vehicles with dual/redundant AC systems that can continue to operate in the event of a breakdown.

You can be assured that whichever of Dogmovers vehicle and/or float combinations may be used for the transport of your pets we have the comfort, safety & security of your Pets in mind at all times.

Microchipping of all dogs & cats being sold or given away is a legal requirement that is the responsibility of the person selling or disposing of the animal, including if the animal is being given away or rehomed. This does not appply to Animals travelling, but which are not changing ownership, but of course it is still adviseable.

All Puppies & Kittens should be 8 weeks or older at the time of transport, however it is more appropriate to transport Kittens and some Toy or small breed Pups at 10-12 weeks of age.

It is a requirement of Australian Kennel clubs & Breeder associations that registered breeders must not sell or rehome a puppy before 8 weeks of age. Additionally 8 weeks is considered the minimum acceptable age for puppies to be removed from their litter and rehomed by the RSPCA and government agencies. Most Cat Breed Associations require breeders to send Kittens at no earlier than 10 and in some cases 12 weeks. Whilst we will not in the normal course of events move puppies or kittens earlier than 8 weeks, in the event of a rescue or emergency situation, such as when the mother is deceased we may make an exception taking into account the reason and the animals breed, age, size, vaccination & worming status and general health.

Please note that Puppies under 7 weeks of age may be unable to fully regulate their own body temperature and Toy or small breeds will be more susceptibale to health issues than larger breeds whn moved at earlier ages.

While Kittens are weaned about the same age as puppies, kittens separated at 8 weeks are at a greater risk for developmental and social than are puppies.

We do not expect anyone to wait at the meeting point for hours on end. Our drivers’ phone all their customers prior (usually 1 hour at the least) with an exact time for when they plan to be at the meeting point. The approximate time provided is to allow for delays such as traffic, meeting customers, stops to walk the animals etc. and we just require that yourself or a friend/family member/partner be available at that time.

All email enquiries are quoted for the soonest run that we have available on that route.

If you provided a preferred travel date, the quote will be the soonest we can do it after or around that date.

All animals are put in their own individual cages but can still see the animals in cages next to them.

The only exclusion we have is for puppies from the same litter at the discretion of the breeder and new owners.

We cannot move adult dogs or cats in the same cage, nor can we move puppies from the same breeder but from different litters in the same cage.

Traditionally all our cages are lined with straw for bedding because on longer interstate trips it is the most effective product in keeping young animals clean. Specifically, straw has a tendency to envelop faeces more than other products rather than allow it to spread in the cage. It is also easier to dispose of when soiled and is a natural insulator. Many animals like to burrow into the straw or to make a nest of it. Dirty straw is removed and replaced with fresh straw as it is soiled. In the case of puppies and kittens we also use rubber mats and absorbent puppy pads or kitty litter under the straw to assist in drawing moisture away.
We do also use vetbed, also called drybed, in some vehicles and situations. You may request this as an option for puppies but please be aware that it is almost impossible to keep Vetbed, Foam mats or blankets etc clean on longer trips, and it is more likely that your puppy will arrive soiled to some degree as compared to those travelling in Straw.

If you wish to send a small blanket or a toy with your animal for comfort whilst on transport, you may feel free to do so, however if it gets soiled on transport, the driver is likely to dispose of it prior to delivery for health reasons.

It has become common for some new Transporters that have never used straw as bedding to suggest that straw is dirty or full of bacteria etc as a point of difference. However this is simply not true. Vetbed is however appropriate, cheaper and more convenient for shorter trips or when moving a small number of animals and as such we do use this on local services or for our more personalised Pet Taxi type services.

Please note at the current point in time, due to COVID-19 we cannot accept anything other than essential paperwork and specialty foods from clients residing in Covid Hotspot regions.

Under normal circumstances however we can accept a small amount of paperwork, food and other items as follows:

• Any special food requirements should be provided with the animal and must be discussed with the driver. (we do not have refrigeration on board for pet food so raw meat needs to be avoided and will be discarded by the driver as required for health reasons)
• If you have any paperwork that is to go with your pet place it in an envelope with the animals details and recipients name on it and give it to the driver. Please ensure that you photograph paperwork prior to sending as we can not accept responsibility for lost items.
• Items such as leads, medication, bowls etc should be put in a carry bag. We will accept a small bag of the dogs belongings to travel with the animal. (up to the size of a supermarket shopping bag size)
• If you wish to send a small blanket or a toy with your animal for comfort whilst on transport, you may feel free to do so, however if it gets soiled on transport, the driver is likely to dispose of it prior to delivery for health reasons. Large blankets or beds will not be accepted.
• Larger items such as dog beds, barrels of food etc. simply will not fit in our floats because the cages are built in. We cannot take these items and it is at the drivers discretion as to whether they accept any additional items. (Please be aware that even though the driver collecting your pet/s may have visible space, subsequent drivers may not so in most cases we cannot accept any larger items. Additionally towels, blankets etc may be disposed of by the driver during the trip if they become soiled with faeces.)

We require payment to be made prior to transport, usually via Credit Card over the phone or by internet transfer. We doo also accept PayPal but we do not accept Cash or Cheques. The details will be provided to you at the time your booking is confirmed, PLEASE do not make payment if you haven’t yet had a booking confirmed and use the booking reference number as your payment reference. We do not require a deposit to accept a booking, but we do not do tentative bookings and your booking is not finalised until payment is received. Generally we would recommend paying at least a couple of weeks in advance to ensure your transport however we do have policies with regards to refunds if you cancel close to the date of departure – check our terms and conditions for the full details.

There are many valid reasons why you may cancel a booking. However when & why you cancel will have a bearing on whether you receive a refund. We will assess any request based on the individual circumstances and generally less an Administration fee of $90 to cover the time we have spent on finalising the booking. 

In general terms we will apply the following.

If bookings are cancelled more than one week from the scheduled pick up date we will consider a full refund less the Admin fee.

If bookings are cancelled within one week but more than 72 hours of the scheduled pick up time a full or partial refund, less the Admin fee, will be given depending on the circumstances at Dogmovers discretion.

If bookings are cancelled less than 72 hours before the agreed pick up time, we arrive to collect an animal but are unable to contact the consignor or if we are not informed that a booking has been cancelled we will generally not give a refund.

In the event that services are cancelled or interrupted due to circumstances beyond Dogmovers control we will be unable to provide refunds but will postpone, re-book or provide credits at our discretion where necessary.

In the event that any animal is unable to travel due to illness or has passed away prior to the scheduled trip, Dogmovers will refund or postpone the trip as appropriate provided that the owner has made a reasonable effort to notify us as soon as is practical.

In the event that an animal is not accepted for transport at the scheduled pick up, due to obvious health issues or because it is aggressive or not as it was described Dogmovers is not obligated to refund any prepaid transport fees. Any refund given will be at the sole discretion of Dogmovers and such decision will be made having regard for whether the client should have had a reasonable expectation that the animal was fit for transport. 

If you wish to make a booking, at the very least we require the name and phone number of the person at each end of the transport. If you have more details, please feel free to provide as much information as possible. You can either respond to your email enquiry with these details, or you can send an email with the reference number from your enquiry stating that you wish to book and you will receive an email back with details to fill out.
We can not make a booking without these details. If you have not provided these details at any point, you do not have a booking with us.

More complete details are available here Booking Process

Our drivers do not have time to contact every customer upon collection/delivery of their animal. If we have any concerns regarding your pet/s or encounter any issues with contacting the appropriate people for collection/delivery we will contact the affected parties directly.

So, if you do not hear from anyone, it means that everything has gone according to plan and you will hear from the driver in due course.

You are of course welcome to message the driver during the trip to check on your pets travel. Please be patient though as the drivers do have limitations at times on their communication due to the fact they are driving. Also keep in mind that there may be more than one driver involved in your transfer and the numbers provided during confirmation are usually for the driver you will be due to meet at collection or drop off rather than for the whole trip.

Prior to transport, we send all our customers a text or email with the collection/delivery details and their drivers phone number. We send this so that if you have any questions or want to check on your animal you can contact the driver directly. Please do not contact them excessively as they are driving/dealing with customers regularly throughout the day and cannot be on their phones that frequently.

We will give you a call if there are any issues with your Pet or if an animals behaviour seems like it may not be normal.

On our Express services we do not usually take photos or contact each client to update them regarding how their pets are travelling if everything is going OK. We would prefer you do not ask the Driver to send photos as they are very busy on these trips which are typically around 14 hour days. On our Premium services the Driver does have fewer animals to care for and spends more time with your specific pets during breaks. They will be happy to have more detailed communication as required throughout the trip and will be able to provide photos etc for those clients that want them.

Whilst it is not often discussed beforehand, whether you obtain your new pet from a breeder or elsewhere, your rights in regard to your new Pet are similar to any other consumer purchase. Basically your Pet should be healthy and fit for the purpose you obtained it for, as a Pet. In particular, your new pet should be free of any genetic health problems. Here is a link to the NSW Dept of Fair Trading’s page, but these rules are basically the same nationally as they are based on the National Consumer Guarantees act.

Link – Fair Trading NSW – Buying a pet

However, consumer law does not protect you from issues that arise that are outside of the Breeder’s or Transporters control. For instance, if your puppy becomes ill, or is injured after it leaves the breeder or arrives at its new home. When this happens because of something the Breeder or transporter did they may be liable, but young animals, just like children, are more susceptible to illness for a number of reasons. Often when this occurs, it is nobodies fault and your Vet bills can become expensive as, unlike us, pets are not covered by Medicare.

It is important that buyers of new Pets are aware of their Pets health, including its vaccination & worming status and that new pets are checked by your vet quickly if you are unsure about their condition.

We also recommend when purchasing a pet that may be worth many thousands of dollars that you have a written contract in place that includes the Breeders registration and ID details along with what the breeders responsibility will be if the Pet becomes unwell or is unsuitable. New owners should keep in close touch with their breeder for advice and we recomend that you organise Pet Insurance well before the young animal leaves the Breeder. 

Purchasing your pet from a registered breeder may help ensure you are buying from a reputable person who follows a code of ethics and has ensured that, as much as is possible, your new pet will be free from hereditary issues. However there is confusion about what is a registered breeder is. This used to mean that the Breeder was registered with a Purebreed organisation and was breeding Purebreed, registered pups. However, all breeders are now required to be “Registered” with the government in their home state and this generally means that they are required to comply with their States animal welfare legislation or Codes of Practice. This system is not fool proof and it will always be best to ensure that your breeder is also a member of a registered body such as Dogs Australia or the Australian Cat federation or their state based subsidiaries. Those breeding non Purebreed animals can belong to groups such as the RPBA (Responsible Pet Breeders Association) or MDBA (Master Dog Breeders & Associates). These groups impose additional requirements upon their breeder members to ensure the health & quality or their puppies & kittens.    

All Dogs & Cats are legally required to be microchipped in Australia before they are transferred to a new owner, including if they are being given away. The responsibility for Microchipping being with the Breeder or disposer of the pet, not the receiver.

Having rights is one thing. Being able to enforce them is another. Having a contract is best but at the very least you should keep a record of the breeders registration numbers, kennel prefix (if purebred), contact details, address and any promises made. Without these it would be difficult. We are often asked to provide contact details after the fact but we are unable to do so due to privacy legislation. 

Dogmovers do not provide GPS tracking abilities for our vehicles or your Pets during the trip.

We are aware that some smaller businesses are providing this service but we do not believe this is either legal, or safe to do and will not be doing so. We do have 24 hour tracking available for the management of our services but we do not share it publicly.

As our drivers are employees, we do not have a right to provide their location to the public 24 hours a day. Additionally many of our drivers are women who are sleeping with your animals in the van overnight. We do not feel that is safe or necessary to share their location.

Other issues include the safety and privacy of our clients and their Pets. We have had instances in the past of individuals attempting to steal particularly valuable pets and at times we have animals moving between two parties with a DV history. In these cases allowing all clients access to our location and the details of each stop we make would exacerbate the risks involved.

We do provide each client with the drivers phone number and invite you to call to check on progress or for an update regarding your pet. Remember that our drivers cannot respond as quickly to text messages as they can a phone call while they are driving.