Delta Pets in Cargo: 2026 Rules, Embargo and Who Can Still Ship

Can you ship a pet in cargo on Delta? As of October 2026, most people cannot. Delta Air Lines' Shipping Your Pet page says that, until further notice, it is shipping pets only for active U.S. military members and U.S. State Department Foreign Service officers who have permanent change of station (PCS) orders. Everyone else can fly a small pet in the cabin or use another carrier. "Delta pets in cargo" means animals sent as freight through Delta Cargo, booked separately from your own ticket.

This guide is written by the Animal Passport editorial team. It is based on Delta's own consumer, military and travel-agency pages, plus guidance from the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Last updated: October 8, 2026.

What does "Delta pets in cargo" mean?

Delta has historically offered three ways for a pet to fly:

• In cabin (PETC): a small dog, cat or household bird in a kennel under the seat in front of you.
• Checked baggage, also called pet in hold (AVIH): the pet flies in the hold on your flight and is checked in at the airport.
• Cargo: the pet is shipped as freight through Delta Cargo. It is booked separately, dropped off and collected at a cargo facility, and may not travel on your flight.

Delta's Shipping Your Pet page (2026) says cargo is meant for pets "too large to fit comfortably in a soft-sided pet kennel." Pets are "not guaranteed to be shipped on the same flight or flight schedule as the customer," and they "must be dropped off and picked up at a Delta Cargo location that is separate from passenger check-in."

Is Delta shipping pets in cargo right now?

Only for a narrow group. As of October 2026, Delta's Shipping Your Pet page says: "Until further notice, we are only allowing the shipment of pets for active U.S. Military or U.S. State Department Foreign Service Offices (FSO) traveling with active permanent change of station orders." Military and FSO customers book through the Delta Cargo Customer Service Center at 1-800-352-2746 and must provide a copy of their PCS orders.

Delta's travel-agency Pet Policies page (Delta Professional, 2026) also describes an embargo on all pet-in-hold (AVIH) bookings. That embargo "applies to all shipments and all stations globally" and "currently there is no end date." Delta still accepts trained service animals that cannot be accommodated in the cabin.

Bottom line: if you are not active-duty U.S. military or a Foreign Service officer moving on PCS orders, Delta will not currently fly your pet in the hold, either as checked baggage or as cargo.

Where Delta's own pages disagree

Delta's website is not consistent. The older Pet Travel Requirements & Restrictions page still says Delta "will also accept shipment of pets for travel within the United States as freight through Delta Cargo." That sentence conflicts with the current embargo notice. The two pages also disagree on several details:

• Drop-off time: the current Shipping Your Pet page says pets must arrive 4 to 6 hours before a domestic departure and 6 hours before an international one, with acceptance cut-offs of 2.5 and 4 hours. The Delta Professional agency page says at least 3 hours for domestic and 5 hours for international.
• Sedation: the Shipping Your Pet page says sedating household dogs and cats "is not permitted." The older requirements page says sedation is allowed with written consent from a veterinarian.
• International shippers: the Shipping Your Pet page says Delta Cargo requires international customers to use a shipper approved by the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association (IPATA). The agency page says Delta only suggests it.
• Breed lists: the Military Pet Travel page lists more restricted breeds than the older page, including Cane Corso, Dogo Argentino, Presa Canario and British Shorthair.

When the pages conflict, we use the newest consumer page, Shipping Your Pet, and recommend that you confirm details with Delta Cargo before booking.

Delta pet travel options compared (October 2026)

Delta's Pet Travel Overview (2026) also caps in-cabin pets at 4 per flight in Delta Comfort and Delta Main. It allows none in Delta One, Delta Premium Select or international Business Class, except service animals.

Requirements if you qualify for Delta Cargo

If you are eligible, Delta's Shipping Your Pet page says "existing live animal policies will still apply." Here is the process in order:

1. Confirm eligibility. Have your active military or Foreign Service ID and a copy of your PCS orders ready.
2. Check the breed and aircraft. Delta does not accept snub-nosed dogs and cats. Delta's requirements page also says animals are not accepted as checked baggage or cargo on any Delta-operated Boeing 767.
3. Buy and acclimate an IATA crate. The crate must meet Container Requirement #1 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations. Your pet must be able to stand, sit upright, lie down and turn around without touching the top or sides. Delta says getting a pet used to the crate "can take weeks to months."
4. Get a health certificate. A USDA-accredited veterinarian or veterinary authority must issue it within 10 days of travel. International trips need an international health certificate signed or endorsed within the same window.
5. Book with Delta Cargo. Call 1-800-352-2746. Domestic cargo pet bookings open 14 days before departure, and all shipment information must be in Delta's system before the acceptance cut-off.
6. Check the forecast. Delta will not ship if ground temperatures go above 80°F (27°C) or below 20°F (-7°C) anywhere on the route. Between 20°F and 45°F (7°C), you need a Certificate of Acclimation.
7. Drop off at the cargo facility. Arrive 4 to 6 hours before a domestic departure or 6 hours before an international one. Complete the live animal checklist confirming food and water were offered within 4 hours, and supply 24 hours of food and feeding instructions.

Crate rules from USDA and Delta

Delta's Military Pet Travel page (2026) lists USDA crate rules. The crate must be rigid plastic, wood or metal with a solid roof. It needs ventilation on 3 sides plus the door, functional outside handles, and "Live Animal" labels in 1-inch letters with upright arrows. It must also hold two dishes reachable without opening the door. Wire-mesh, wicker, cardboard and collapsible crates are prohibited.

Crate size is limited by aircraft. For checked baggage, the same Delta page caps the A321neo at a 200-series crate (27 x 20 x 19 in) and the A220, A321 and B717-200 at a 400-series crate (36 x 24 x 26 in). Delta's requirements page says giant 700-series crates (48 x 32 x 35 in) are "accepted as cargo only."

Why Delta restricts snub-nosed breeds

Delta's Shipping Your Pet page says brachycephalic (snub-nosed) dogs, cats and their mixes "are not permitted on Delta or Delta Connection flights" in cargo. Delta frames this as part of the risk of cargo travel, which it says can lead to "illness, injury, escape or, in rare cases, death." The Military Pet Travel page lists breeds including bulldogs, pugs, boxers, mastiffs, Shih Tzu, Persian and Himalayan cats. Delta's agency page adds that there are "no military exceptions for restricted pet breeds."

International pets on Delta: CDC, USDA and destination rules

Airline approval is only part of the trip. Government documents are separate:

• Dogs entering the United States: under rules in effect since August 1, 2024, the CDC requires every dog to be at least 6 months old, microchipped, healthy-looking and accompanied by a CDC Dog Import Form receipt. Extra paperwork depends on rabies-risk travel history and where the dog was vaccinated.
• Leaving the United States: USDA APHIS (page updated March 20, 2026) advises owners to contact a USDA-accredited veterinarian "as soon as you decide to travel." The vet can identify destination requirements and help obtain a USDA-endorsed health certificate.
• New World Screwworm: Delta's Pet Travel Overview says that, effective August 3, 2026, dogs entering Mexico need a New World Screwworm Inspection Certificate from a USDA-accredited veterinarian issued no more than 5 days before arrival.

USDA APHIS also notes that livestock and poultry, such as pigs and chickens, "don't qualify as pets." Those animals fall under separate import and export regulations, not pet travel rules.

Delta pet cargo vs. EU pet passports vs. Animal Passport

People often search for "pet passport" alongside airline cargo rules. These are three different things:

• Delta Cargo acceptance is the airline's commercial decision to carry an animal. It depends on Delta's embargo, crate, breed and weather rules.
• Government pet travel documents, such as USDA-endorsed health certificates, the CDC Dog Import Form and the European Union pet passport, are official records issued or recognized by authorities for border entry.
• Animal Passport is a digital animal and livestock passport. It identifies animals by muzzle biometrics, because a nose print is unique like a fingerprint. Using a phone camera, the record links the animal to its owner, breed, estimated age, body condition and vaccination history.

Animal Passport is not a government-issued travel document. It does not replace an airline booking, a USDA health certificate, a CDC form or a microchip. Its features are built for livestock identity:

• Age estimate: estimated from a dental photograph, with a confidence score.
• Body condition score: rated 1–5 from a side-profile photo.
• Field use: in August 2025, it was used during livestock flood rescue in Pakistan so farmers could reclaim animals after paper tags washed away.

For more on animal identity and travel paperwork, see the Animal Passport blog.

Alternatives if you can't use Delta Cargo

• Fly your pet in the cabin if it fits under the seat and your route allows it. Book early, because Delta accepts in-cabin pets first come, first served.
• Hire an IPATA member pet shipper. Delta itself points international customers to IPATA-approved shippers.
• Check other carriers, including Delta's partner airlines. Delta's agency page lists Air France/KLM, Aeromexico, Korean Air, LATAM and Virgin Atlantic as partners with their own pet policies.
• Drive or use ground transport for domestic moves, especially in summer heat or with snub-nosed breeds that most airlines restrict.

How we researched this guide

We read Delta's consumer, military and travel-agency pet pages directly in October 2026, alongside USDA APHIS, CDC and IATA guidance. We report rules as Delta publishes them and flag the conflicts between its pages. Delta says its embargo will be revisited as its network changes, so rules may change without notice. This article is general information, not legal or veterinary advice. Ask your veterinarian about your pet's fitness to fly.