1,104 reviews
I entrusted Dogtainers Australia with the international relocation of my beloved dog from France to Australia, believing I was hiring specialists in the safe transport of live animals. Instead, my dog never made it to Australia. He died during the journey. Before the flight, my wife and I specifically raised concerns about the extreme heat… Read more
forecast in Paris and asked whether the transport should be postponed. We were reassured that the situation was under control and that there was no reason to worry.
On the day of departure, the aircraft reportedly experienced a significant technical delay after boarding. From what I have been able to establish, my dog remained in the transport chain for many hours before the flight eventually departed.
Our dog died before reaching Australia.
Since then, we have repeatedly asked for a full and transparent explanation, including the records needed to understand exactly what happened. Many important questions remain unanswered.
Almost one month after his death, we still do not have a complete explanation of the conditions in which he was kept, the monitoring he received, or the decisions made after the delay. No necropsy report, not even recovered ashes following his incineration.
Losing a pet is devastating. Losing one while it is in the care of professionals you trusted is heartbreaking.
I am currently pursuing the appropriate legal and regulatory channels to establish the facts and determine responsibilities. My purpose in writing this review is to share my experience with other pet owners so they can make an informed decision.
Based on my experience, I strongly recommend to avoid by all means Dogtainers.
We used Dogtainers to relocate our two cats from Australia to South Africa, and the experience was outstanding from start to finish. Jess was amazing throughout the entire process. She made what could have been an overwhelming amount of preparation feel completely manageable, guiding us through everything needed for both the flight and the import… Read more
so we always knew exactly what to do and when.
On the day, Teagen was equally wonderful. Our cats had to be dropped off very early for their vet checks, so she allowed me to visit them beforehand to reassure and calm them down, which definitely helped them. She then kept me updated the whole way through, right up until they were handed over to the handling staff at the airport. That kind of communication took so much of the worry out of the day.
The partner team on the South African side were just as caring and professional, and our cats were in safe hands the entire journey.
If you are nervous about transporting your pets, I cannot recommend Dogtainers highly enough. The care, patience and genuine kindness shown by the whole team made all the difference.
Teagan picked up our fur babies in Perth yesterday she was so great with them. They are very nervous with new people however, they felt comfortable with her kind nature. Teagan updated us all afternoon until they got on their flight. Highly recommended the service we were so lucky to have Teagan look after them before their flight.
Reviews with attachments
- +1
We had an amazing experience with Dogtainers during our pets relocation process from Mauritius to Brisbane. Thinking of moving with our blind Golden Retriever and two anxious cats to Australia was very stressful but many thanks to Emma Viscogliosi for guiding us through this journey and making sure that all the steps being done correctly. She was… Read more · 1
always responsive to our questions and requests. Also many thanks to Kyle for keeping us posted after picking our pets up from PEQ until dropping them off to airport. We feel so lucky to work with such professional company and people. Thank you Dogtainers!
I cannot recommend Dogtainers enough. I began my journey with them in April 2025. From the get go it was like chatting to a friend about my babies travel to South Africa from Brisbane Australia. Jess had her finger on the pulse and was absolutely incredible with sorting out absolutely EVERYTHING! from dates and times to documents to flights to… Read more · 1
hand overs and everything inbetween! The Brisbane team explained everything to me in detail regarding my Pug and Cats documents, vet appointments and their crates making sure I understood my homework to make sure it's a team effort from all involved to ensure the animals have the best possible prep leading up to their flight to make sure the actual flight and all that goes with it was smooth and stress free, which it 100% was! I got constant updates and so many photos which made my heart so happy! My animals are safely in South Africa and they arrived relaxed and healthy. I couldn't have dreamed this process go any smoother than what it did. Thank you to the entire team at Dogtainers for looking after my precious cargo as if it was your own ♡ So much love and so much gratitude , The Palmer clan ♡
We flew our 12 year old Westie, Hamish, from Rome to Melbourne in March 2025. The process for export takes a long time with vaccination dates, vet visits etc but Emma provided very clear instructions and sent reminders a couple of days before to ensure we didn't miss any appointments (not that we would have but the reminders were good.) Emma… Read more · 1
communicated with us throughout the process and also arranged a very professional and helpful company called BlissPets to coordinate Hamish's exit from Italy.
I wouldn't have had a clue what to do but Federica BlissPets in Rome was also very communicative and the process was easy for us.
Dogtainers took away the stress of what was a very concerning time for us as we wanted to make sure that Hamish was well looked after and could finish his 10 day quarantine without any problem.
Thank you Emma, you did a great job and we are very grateful. And also many thanks to Federica from BlissPets for your help.
Here is a pic of Hamish and video of him when he got out of quarantine.
- +1
Here’s a heartfelt review you can use for Emma: “A huge thank you to Emma for taking such great care of Bruno and making his journey back home smooth and stress-free! Her professionalism, dedication, and love for animals truly stand out. From handling all the travel details to ensuring Bruno’s comfort every step of the way, she went above and… Read more · 1
beyond. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to help reunite us. Highly recommend her to anyone looking for a reliable and caring dog trainer!”
I moved from Australia to Italy with my massive dog, Ed. I have to be honest and say that the dog trainers' team is really good — they had to deal with me, a helicopter parent with a lot of anxiety. My sincere compliments, especially to Jess: she was able to accommodate all my requests in spite of all the problems that arose (among which: the war in the Middle East, the bombing of airports, and sudden changes in flight policies). Chapeau, Jess.
I cannot praise you guys enough you made a very stressful time so much better, with the constant updates along Theo's journey from Perth WA to Northern Ireland. He is now well settled. Thank you again Amelia.
They helped transport my little girl all the way from Australia to Vietnam without any problems at all. The bureaucracy and logistics were overwhelming and I couldn’t have done it without them. Thank you Jess and co!
We had an outstanding experience with Dogtainers, and especially with Emma, who was absolutely incredible from start to finish. We were very nervous about the entire process of moving our dog internationally. It’s a big deal and honestly pretty overwhelming. Emma was consistently communicative, responsive, and reassuring every step of the way. As… Read more
a very anxious dog mom, that level of support made all the difference.
Our situation wasn’t simple either. We changed our itinerary a few times because we decided to drive Beckett across the US and later across Australia to minimize the number of flights he had to take. Emma was nothing but accommodating through all of it. No frustration, no delays, just solutions and steady guidance.
For context, our journey was Atlanta to Los Angeles, then Beckett flew from LA to Melbourne, where we picked him up. Everything went smoothly, and Beckett arrived safe, healthy, and in great spirits.
On top of that, the 180-day quarantine prep and timeline management could have been overwhelming, but Emma made it feel completely manageable. She worked closely with our vet in Atlanta to ensure every requirement was met and all documentation was submitted correctly and on time. What is typically a very intense and detail-heavy process was broken down into clear, manageable steps, and she stayed on top of everything to keep us on track. That level of coordination gave us a lot of confidence throughout.
From a customer service perspective, this company is top tier. Reliable, organized, and genuinely caring about both pets and their owners.
We’re incredibly grateful to Emma and the team for helping bring Beckett home to Australia safely. We truly couldn’t have done this without her and would recommend Dogtainers without hesitation.
- +2
WOW! I’m so amazed with dogtainers & cannot thank them enough! We moved our sweet dog Jim from Sydney back home to Canada & Jess helped us every step of the way. I first spoke to Kym when I inquired about our big move - she was very helpful explaining the process to me & answering all of my questions, she made my decision to go with dogtainers… Read more
very easy! Once I was connected with Jess she began planning Jim’s trip around the timeline that worked best for us & helped me with a last minute date change. She was always available via email or phone to answer my questions and helped me navigate every step of this process! Jess was so great & checked in throughout the process which made me feel very confident in her genuine care to keep our Jim safe & comfy during his travels. Once Jim was in the care of dogtainers we received photos of him playing & updates on how he was doing, it put us at ease right away, the whole team is AMAZING! Thank you Jess, Kym, and the whole dogtainers team, you guys rock!
Find out how Dogtainers compares to other Pet Transport Services
Know better, choose better.
Teagan was absolutely lovely, she was so helpful and took good care of our little pup while being transported, she kept me updated with photos and communication. So glad our boy got to spend time with her before flying over. She made me feel less anxious as we haven’t had a puppy before nor flown a puppy before, so really glad I had her to communicate with. Thanks Teagan & Team
Teagan was amazing. Kept me updated, was on time and very friendly. The whole experience was stress free for myself and my puppy. Thank you.
Teaghan was excellent - 10/10 - highly satisfied. Thank you so much for the care and attention you gave to Lacey and Mia - they were super happy, and clearly had no issues at all. Very satisfied.
Our adorable family Cavoodle travelled by plane with Dogtainers up from Sydney to Brisbane and back for the recent Christmas holiday . He arrived at both destinations relaxed and untroubled which meant he could enjoy a holiday with his family and not be penned up in a boarding kennel for the duration . The staff at both terminals were friendly efficient and obviously fond of animals . Great service . Bob
Teagan collected Ralph right on the time we were told he would be picked up. She was so nice to him and could sense I was a little upset. She explained everything and answered my questions. I was sent a lovely message and updated photos once he was at the airport before she handed him over to the airline staff. He has now been safely delivered… Read more
to his home in Sydney and looks so well and happy. The communication by the Sydney team was amazing too. I would highly recommend Dogtainers for the efficient, hassle free door to door service. Special mention and thanks to Teagan from the Perth team.
Our agent Jess from Dogtainers Brisbane made the entire process unbelievably smooth and stress free. She handled everything from start to finish and guided me through every step, letting me know exactly when each vaccination, test or document needed to be completed. I had a lot of anxiety as it was a 14.5 hour flight from Brisbane to Dubai for my… Read more
pups and Jess patiently answered my million questions and kept me updated throughout the whole journey. I wouldn’t trust my fur babies to be transported with anyone else. Looking forward to working with Dogtainers again when we move back to Brisbane in a few years time. Truely exceptional service and can clearly tell they care about/ want the best for our pups!
Latest follow-ups
I cannot say enough nice things about this company and their service. It was amazing. They brought my three cats from Launceston to Newcastle which involved an overnight stay in Melbourne. They kept in touch with me at every stage and the lovely… Read more · 1
man who looked after them in Melbourne rang me to say they were calm and relaxed and even sent me photos to show me.
Their service is exceptional and I cannot recommend them highly enough. Margaret
Follow-up · The cats had to overnight in Melbourne because of flights into Newcastle, so they were picked up in Launceston lunch time on the Tuesday, overnighted in Melbourne and then arrived on the only flight into Newcastle the next afternoon. The carriers were large, could easily had fitted two cats but I don't think that is airline policy. The carriers… Read more
My family and I have moved away from Australia to New Zealand and the team at dogtainers was incredibly kind. My boy was extremely happy during the flying process and everything else. Show reply
Follow-up · My boy ate very well and came back to me at an incredible way. He was loving life with everyone that was walking him, feeding him and playing with him. The lady that drove 3.5 hours with him absolutely adored him and he was absolutely fine in the crate he was in ( he had enough room to move around if he wanted to) He had all of his blood work… Read more
The person collecting my daughter’s cat cat called me about 40 minutes before arrival at the nominated pick up time & was punctual. Everything went smoothly & Peach is happily reunited with my daughter who is her owner. Show reply
Follow-up · The cat is happily reunited with my daughter. All. Went well.
Find out how Dogtainers compares to other Pet Transport Services
Know better, choose better.
Positive reviews
I would recommend Dogtainers to anyone needing their pet transported. We had amazing help from Emma who was extremely helpful and professional. Thank you for making this scary journey pleasant.
I needed to send a pup from Hunter Valley NSW to Hong Kong. I was not looking forward to all the organising but Dogtainers made the whole process stress free and easy! They organised everything and told me exactly what I needed to do from my end. They kept communication up the whole time, were on time, friendly and competent. They sent photos… Read more
of the pup and kept me in the loop until he was safely delivered to his new owner in Hong Kong. Thank you for making this stressful process easy.
Dogtainers were amazing with shipping our new puppy from Melbourne to Darwin in a very short timeframe! They assisted us with our questions and concerns. We've never shipped a dog before so this was a very new process for us, but they made it insanely easy! One thing I do wish they had as a service for peace of mind, would be to send a generic or… Read more
automatic update's saying "Your dog has been collected and is on the way to the airport", Your dog has boarded the flight and has an eta of ##hrs", "Your dog has reached its destination, if you haven't orgainsed pickup transport, please make your way to collect". We were worried on how things were going for our puppy throughout the travel, but other than that the team at dogtainers were really good and will be using them again in future!
Negative reviews
Staff / team are very courteous, professional, and friendly. They are knowledgeable and process is smooth as can be. Facilities look very clean and well fitted. Pricing is competitive. Their USA partners they work with are also well organised and professional. A few delayed/unanswered emails requiring follow up. Paid extra for dog adaptil collar… Read more
to keep dog calm during 2x 15hr flights, was not provided, asked for explanation, no response received. Refund was given for no collar. Would give 3.5 stars but no option to.
Our experience was characterized by poor communication, utter disinterest in answering questions and generally far more stressful than it needed to be. We consistently needed to ask questions (via email) multiple times before we got an answer, we had to follow everything up ourselves because we never received information when we were told we… Read more
would. We were sent invoices (for way more than quoted) on the due date and whenever we had any questions we tried to address in a timely manner, Dogtainers were impossible to reach via phone. Although even when we could reach them it was difficult to get simple answers to simple questions. Most consequentially, when things went awry with our dogs travel from New Zealand, Dogtainers made no effort at all to find a solution - in fact another pet relocation agency had to step in to rectify the situation and get our entire family reunited
Used this company to transport our greyhound from Tasmania to Perth in January 2025. Our girl was left behind in Melbourne due to an airline discrepancy, or something like that. I don't exactly remember. My partner got an email and voicemail when she arrived in Perth. To this day we don't know where she stayed, if she was alright, whether they fed… Read more
her, whether she spent the night cramped in the dog crate. They gave us nothing. No update photos. I asked for a manager to call me the next day as we were not happy about this lack of information. I waited 6 hours the next day before I rang them demanding answers. The manager was too busy to take my call. I told the operator she was probably on the phone calling [Name Removed] for some clarification about why the dog was not put on the plane. When she finally rang me, guess what, she admitted she was on the phone to [Name Removed]. It took this long and me being on hold to get her to make some enquiries. I gave her credit for honesty, but overall poor service. She claimed her operations team sent us photos of our girl. I said that was nonsense, we got nothing. I said we don't know where she stayed or how she was looked after. Oh she said, I better look into that. It didnt get any better after that, she got delayed on the flight from Perth to Kalgoorlie due to alleged weight problems on the flight. I was told all cargo was removed, including our poor 25kg dog. This time however we were contacted by [Name Removed], the Operations Manager for Dogtainers. Finally, someone who knew what to do. He told us where she would be staying and made sure we got update photos. $1500 to transport your very much loved family member is a considerable fee and when done correctly is not a concern. It is when this company spruiks on their phone on hold line about how good they are - reliable and trusted service, stress free trip, take complication out of your pet care needs. This is my favourite, peace of mind. We had no peace and lots of stress and worry no thanks to Dogtainers. All we got was a sorry from[Name Removed]. I would not recommend anyone to use Dogtainers.
We sincerely apologise for the stress and frustration… Read more
Recent reviews
Thank you, Jess and Dogtainers. I was leaving the country in a hurry and notice was short, frankly, it was pretty stressful. Thanks to Dogtainers, dealing with the quote and arrangements swiftly, I was able to bring my family home. I also appreciate the itinerary, the updates, and the overall experience; those were precise and informative,… Read more
allowing me to plan my schedule with ease. I'll definitely recommend Dogtainers to others for pet relocation. Thanks again.
Excellent service from start to finish. We’ve used Dogtainers twice to transport Ralph and have been very impressed both times. The whole process is handled with great care, and the communication and photo updates are fantastic. Thank you for another smooth and seamless journey for Ralph.
ProductReview.com.au has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence our content moderation policies in any way, though ProductReview.com.au may earn commissions for products/services purchased via affiliate links.
Hi Zico, Thank you for your feedback and for… Read more