Arajet carries one cat or dog per passenger in the cabin on most of its routes, but it does not carry pets in the cargo hold at all, and on flights to or from the United States it does not carry pets or emotional support animals of any kind. The only animals Arajet accepts on its US flights are trained service, assistance, rescue or search dogs, and those need a US Department of Transportation form, a CDC Dog Import Form and a screwworm certificate from a vet.
That US restriction is the detail most people miss. Arajet is a low-cost airline based in Santo Domingo, and a lot of its passengers are flying between the Dominican Republic and US cities. This guide uses Arajet's own help centre answers on travelling with a pet, emotional support animals and service dogs to the United States, all updated between September and October 2026.
Arajet animal rules at a glance
| Animal | Flights to or from the US | Other Arajet routes |
|---|---|---|
| Pet cat or dog | Not accepted | One per passenger, cabin only, fee applies |
| Pet in the cargo hold | Not accepted | Not accepted |
| Emotional support animal | Not accepted | One cat or dog, cabin, medical certificate, fee applies |
| Trained service dog | Accepted with DOT form, CDC form and screwworm certificate | Up to two, cabin, free |
| Other animals | Not accepted | Not accepted |
What Arajet allows on non-US routes
On routes that do not touch the United States, you can bring a maximum of one cat or dog. No other species are accepted, so no birds, rabbits or ferrets. The pet travels in the cabin with you, certain requirements apply, and there is a fee. Arajet's dedicated pet travel page sets the carrier size, weight limit and price, and those figures vary by market, so check the version of the page for the country you are booking from before you buy a carrier.
No pets in the cargo hold
Arajet states plainly that it does not transport animals in the cargo hold. That means a dog too big for a cabin carrier simply cannot fly on Arajet as a pet, on any route. Owners of medium and large dogs need a different airline or a pet shipper, whichever direction they are travelling.
The US flight ban on pets
Arajet's help centre says that on flights to or from the United States it currently does not transport pets or emotional support animals, citing its current operational policies. This covers every pet, however small, and it applies in both directions. If your trip is Santo Domingo to New York, or Miami to Santo Domingo, a cat in a carrier will be refused.
The wording "currently" suggests this could change, so check Arajet's help centre close to your travel date. For now, plan any US trip with a pet on a different airline.
Why the US routes are different
Arajet does not explain the reason beyond operational policy. The US tightened its rules for dogs arriving from abroad from August 1, 2024, with a CDC Dog Import Form for every dog and extra steps for dogs that have been in high-risk rabies countries. The US Department of Agriculture also now asks for screwworm certificates for dogs from several countries in the region. Each of those checks has to happen at the airport counter. Many airlines have tightened their own rules on US flights since then, and Arajet's ban fits that pattern. See the CDC dog import page for the current US rules.
Emotional support animals
On routes outside the US, Arajet accepts one cat or dog as an emotional support animal in the cabin. It must sit on your lap if it is smaller than a two-year-old child, or fit in your foot space without blocking the aisle. You need a medical certificate justifying the animal, with the professional's stamp and signature, dated no more than one year before the flight. Emotional support animals are carried for a fee, and Arajet suggests adding the animal when you book. On flights to or from the US, emotional support animals are not accepted.
Our explainer on service dogs, emotional support animals and therapy dogs sets out how airlines treat each one.
Service dogs on Arajet
Arajet carries up to two trained service, assistance, rescue or search dogs per passenger in the cabin, free of charge. The dog sits on your lap if it is smaller than a two-year-old child, or in your foot space. If the dog is too big for the foot space of your seat, Arajet offers options such as buying an additional seat. No other species qualify as service animals.
Service dogs on US flights
Service dogs are the one exception to the US ban. To fly one to or from the US on Arajet you need:
- The US DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form, required for all service animals flying.
- The CDC Dog Import Form, required for any dog entering the US.
- A certificate from a licensed vet stating the dog is free from screwworm, dated within 5 days before travel.
If the dog was vaccinated in the US, add either a USDA export health certificate or a valid US rabies vaccination certificate. If it was vaccinated outside the US, you need a foreign rabies vaccination certificate and microchip information that meet CDC standards, and possibly more if the dog has been in a high-risk country. Our guide to flying with a service dog covers the DOT form in detail.
Health documents for any route
Whatever the route, Arajet makes you responsible for the animal's health documents for both the country of departure and the destination. Depending on the countries, that can include vaccination records, a deworming certificate, a medical certificate, a health certificate to leave the country, and an entry permit from the destination's animal health authority. Check both countries' rules well before you fly, because some permits take days to issue.
No online check-in with an animal
Because staff need to check the animal's documents, you cannot check in online if you are travelling with a pet, emotional support animal or service dog. Arajet recommends arriving at the airport counter at least three hours before departure. Build that into your plans, especially for early morning flights.
Choosing a carrier for the cabin
On routes where Arajet does take pets, the animal has to stay in a carrier that fits under the seat in front of you for the whole flight. A soft-sided carrier with mesh panels on at least two sides, a waterproof base and a zip that cannot be nosed open is the usual choice. Measure the carrier yourself against the size on Arajet's pet page for your market, and weigh your pet and the carrier together at home, because the limit is checked at the counter. Our guides to flying with a dog in the cabin and flying with a cat in the cabin cover how to get a pet used to the carrier.
What happens at the counter
Plan for the check-in agent to look at the animal, the carrier and every document before issuing your boarding pass. Have the vaccination record, any health or export certificate, any entry permit and, for an emotional support animal, the medical certificate printed and in one folder. If something is missing or the dates do not line up with the destination's rules, the animal can be refused, and on a low-cost airline you may not get your fare back.
Flying with a pet between Arajet's other destinations
Outside the US, Arajet flies from Santo Domingo to cities in Canada, the Caribbean, Central America and South America. Every country sets its own import rules for cats and dogs, and some require an import permit issued before travel, a vet certificate within a set number of days, or an official export certificate from the country you are leaving. If your trip connects in Santo Domingo, check whether the Dominican Republic needs any transit paperwork for the animal. Start with the destination's agriculture or animal health authority, then confirm with Arajet.
Exit row seats
Arajet's rules for emergency exit seats exclude passengers responsible for a pet. If you are travelling with an animal, do not pick an exit row, or you will be moved at the gate.
Flying a pet between the Dominican Republic and the US
Since Arajet will not take your pet on this route, you need another airline. Several US airlines fly between the US and Santo Domingo or Punta Cana, and some accept small pets in the cabin on Caribbean routes, while others limit pets on certain island routes. Compare the current rules for JetBlue, American Airlines and Spirit before you book, because each sets its own carrier size, fee and route list. Our guide to booking a pet on a flight walks through the process.
Bringing a dog into the US from the Dominican Republic
Whichever airline you use, a dog arriving in the US needs the CDC Dog Import Form, must be at least 6 months old, and must be microchipped. Whether it needs more depends on whether it has been in a country the CDC lists as high risk for dog rabies in the previous six months, so check the current CDC list for the Dominican Republic and any other country the dog has been in. The USDA also asks for screwworm certificates for dogs from parts of the region. See our guide to importing a dog into the US.
Larger dogs
Because Arajet never uses the hold for pets, a medium or large dog cannot fly with it on any route. Your options are an airline that carries pets as checked baggage on your route, or a pet shipper that books the dog as cargo. Our guide to cargo versus in-cabin travel explains the trade-offs, and crates for hold travel follow the IATA live animal rules.
Why low-cost airlines limit pets
Arajet's approach, cabin only with tight route limits, is common among low-cost carriers. Pets slow down check-in, need document checks at the counter, and in the hold need ventilated, temperature-controlled space and trained handlers. A business built on fast turnarounds and low fares often decides that a hold pet service is not worth running. That is why owners of larger dogs usually end up on full-service airlines or with pet shippers, even when the cheapest seat for themselves is on a low-cost carrier.
Arajet Travel Assist for pets
Arajet sells a travel assistance add-on with a pet option for dogs and cats registered on your booking. It covers things like phone and online vet guidance, vet referrals and pet-friendly hotel information at your destination. It is assistance, not pet insurance, and it does not change whether your pet can fly.
Before you book Arajet with a pet
Check three things in order. First, does any leg touch the United States? If so, a pet or emotional support animal cannot come. Second, will the animal fit in a cabin carrier? If not, Arajet is out, since there is no hold option. Third, do you have the departure and arrival documents? If all three line up, add the pet when you book, skip online check-in and be at the counter three hours early.
If your plans change
If you have already bought an Arajet ticket for a US route and now need to bring a pet, the pet cannot travel with you on that flight. Your choices are to change your own ticket to an airline that takes pets on the route, keep your Arajet seat and send the pet separately with a pet shipper, or arrange care at home while you travel. Read your fare conditions before changing anything, because low-cost fares often have limited refunds, and ask Arajet whether any part of the fare can be credited before you cancel.