Traveling with a pet through PUJ 2026 — how the transfer works

What to tell us when you book

Four details make a pet pickup routine instead of improvised: the species (dog, cat or other), the pet's weight, the carrier or crate dimensions in centimetres, and your flight number. The first three decide the vehicle; the last one is how we time the pickup.

Send them with the booking or in one WhatsApp message afterwards. A photo of the crate next to a suitcase or a doorway helps more than a breed name — 'Labrador' describes a dog, but the desk needs to know whether the crate is 70 cm or 110 cm long.

If you are travelling with a pet and extra luggage, say so in the same message. A large crate plus four checked bags is a van problem, and it is much easier to solve the day before than at the kerb.

Which vehicle fits

As a working rule: a soft cabin carrier with a cat or small dog rides in any sedan, a rigid medium crate needs the luggage space of an SUV, and a large airline crate — or two pets — belongs in the van. The crate travels in the cargo area or across the folded rear bench; your pet is never loaded onto a roof or into a separate vehicle.

If the crate is one of the tall airline models, measure the height as well as the length. Some large crates fit a van sideways but will not pass an SUV's rear hatch. When in doubt, send the dimensions and we assign the vehicle against them, not against a guess.

Vehicle upgrades follow the same rate list as luggage upgrades — you can see the per-vehicle zone prices on the rates page, and the van surcharge logic is the same one described in the groups and luggage guide.

At PUJ arrivals

Inside the terminal your pet stays in its carrier — that is the airport's own expectation, and it keeps the walk through immigration, baggage claim and customs calm for everyone. Nothing about the meeting point changes: the driver waits outside the customs exit in the arrivals hall with your name on the printed sign.

If your dog needs a minute after a long flight, tell the driver before loading. The parking area is a short walk from the exit, and a two-minute stretch on the way to the car is easier than a crate door opening inside the terminal.

You handle the pet, we handle the luggage and the crate. Loading a rigid crate is a two-person job; let the driver take one end.

Airline and entry paperwork

The transfer side needs no documents — but the flight and the border do, and those rules belong to the airline and to the Dominican authorities, not to us. Health certificates, vaccination records, microchip requirements and cabin-vs-hold rules are set by your airline and by the official Dominican entry regulations, and they change.

Check both before you fly: your airline's pet page for the flight, and the Dominican Republic's official entry requirements for animals. If either side asks for a paper original rather than a photo, carry the paper original.

What we can do is timing. If the veterinary inspection point at PUJ adds time on arrival, the driver is already there — there is no waiting fee for a slow desk, only for a pickup you change yourself.

The return to the airport

The return works exactly like any other return pickup: the time is confirmed on WhatsApp the day before, the driver meets you at the resort lobby or the community gate, and the vehicle is assigned against the crate dimensions you gave us. Gated communities such as Cap Cana and Puntacana Resort apply the same gate rules with a pet as without one.

For an early flight, have the crate assembled and the pet settled before the lobby time. A ten-minute search for a missing crate clip at 04:30 costs the buffer your zone needs for check-in.

If the airline moves your departure, reply to the same WhatsApp thread — the desk re-times the pickup, and the vehicle assignment carries over.

Resorts, villas and pet breaks

Not every resort accepts pets, and that decision sits with the property, not the transfer. If your accommodation is a villa or a pet-friendly rental, tell us the community name at booking so the gate and address details are pinned the day before.

On longer rides — Uvero Alto, Miches, or the Samaná run — ask the driver for a short stop if your dog needs one. A five-minute stop at a safe pull-off is normally fine; agree it at the start of the ride rather than mid-journey.

For anything not covered here, WhatsApp +1 849 377 5889 reaches the dispatch desk directly. One message with the pet's details and your flight number is enough to make both directions routine.

Questions we get on this

Can my dog or cat ride in the transfer from PUJ?

Yes. Your pet travels with you in the private vehicle. Tell us the species, weight and carrier or crate dimensions at booking so we assign a vehicle the crate actually fits.

Is there an extra charge for a pet?

The transfer is priced per vehicle, not per passenger, so the pet itself does not add a fee. The only thing that can change the price is the vehicle class — a large airline crate that needs the van is priced as the van.

Does my pet have to stay in the carrier?

Inside the terminal, yes — plan on the carrier staying closed through immigration, baggage claim and customs. Once you are at the car, your pet rides in its carrier or crate in the vehicle; the driver can offer a short stretch stop on longer rides if you ask at the start.

What size vehicle do I need for a large crate?

A soft cabin carrier fits any sedan. A rigid medium crate needs an SUV's luggage space. A large airline crate, or two pets, belongs in the van. Send the crate dimensions in centimetres and we assign against them.

What paperwork do I need for the transfer?

None from us. The paperwork belongs to the airline and to Dominican entry rules — health certificate, vaccinations and cabin-vs-hold rules — so check your airline's pet page and the official Dominican entry requirements before you fly.

Does the return pickup work the same way with a pet?

Yes. The time is confirmed on WhatsApp the day before, the driver meets you at the lobby or the community gate, and the vehicle is already assigned against your crate. Have the crate assembled before the lobby time on early departures.