Shipping Pets

The following counties are in the Defense Supply Center Richmond community

Now Available: Lifetime Dog Licenses

Chesterfield County now offers a lifetime dog license for $10. The license will remain valid as long as the dog's rabies vaccination is kept up to date. 

Which Dogs Must Have a License?

Any dog four months of age or older must have a license.

What Steps Are Necessary?

To obtain a dog license, you must:

• Provide a certificate of current rabies vaccination
• Pay the $10 license tax.

Where Do I Get the License?

You can obtain a dog license at several County businesses, or by mail.

To Obtain a Dog License by Mail

• Print and complete a Dog License Application (PDF).
• Send the completed license application.
• Include
  • Check or money order payable to Treasurer, Chesterfield County
  • Copy of the rabies certificate
  • Proof that the dog has been spayed/neutered (if applicable)

Mail to:

• Treasurer’s Office
• P.O. Box 70
• Chesterfield, Virginia 23832
• Attention: Dog Licenses

In Richmond the cost of a pet license is $10 for each cat or dog. Licenses are renewable annually in January.

Prince George County fees for dog/cat/ferret licenses is $5 for spayed or neutered (altered) pet or $25 for unaltered pet.

Hanover County sells a lifetime dog license, which is valid for the life of the dog as long as the rabies vaccination remains current. The price for a lifetime license is $10.

Plan for your pet's trip in the same way you plan your own - way in advance. A clean bill of health is an important first step in assuring your pet's ability to adjust safely to unfamiliar surroundings. In addition, most states and countries require recent health certificates and vaccination documentation before you will be allowed to cross borders.

Make sure your pet has a special identification tag with your pet's name, your name, and a destination address or that of a friend or a relative. Traveling by car is sometimes the most humane way to go since you can plan regular stops for exercise and feeding. Take along your pet's food and water bowls, blanket or bedding, and a favorite toy to give him or her a touch of home.

If your pet travels with you, keep your pet on a leash when outside your car or hotel. If you plan to stay in a hotel or motel, call in advance to see if pets are allowed before you make reservations. If you plan to board your pet at your destination point, reservations are also necessary, especially during the heavy travel periods of holidays and summers.

Never leave your pet alone in a parked car. In summer, it takes only minutes for the heat to climb to more than 120 degrees, even in the shade. In winter, closed cars becomes refrigerators, and the cold can be as dangerous as summer heat. Traveling by air is another option for transporting pets. The carrier in which your pet will be spending most of his/her trip is of utmost importance. Your pet must have room to turn freely while in a standing position and be able to use normal movements in order to stand erect or lie down in a natural position. A container for water should be secured to the inside of the carrier positioned so that it can be filled without opening the cage. A drip bottle is highly recommended. Also, include a familiar blanket or favorite toy inside the carrier.

Please follow all Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, guidelines.  If your pet travels in the cargo section, extra care must be taken before boarding and after landing which will minimize the difficulties your pet may face while out of your stewardship. Purchasing the proper carrier, arranging for non-stop, direct flights, and making sure that someone is in the baggage area when your pet arrives are safeguards that you can take to ensure your pet's safe transportation.

For smaller pets, such as birds, hamsters, gerbils, and tropical fish, consider sending them by air express. Airline freight departments or pet stores can supply shipping containers. Tropical fish should be packed by a local pet shop specializing in tropical fish.

Air Mobility Command, or AMC, charters will ship only dogs and cats at the owner's expense, and the service is limited to charter passengers in a permanent change of station status.