NEW Stricter airline rules for transporting or traveling with dog breeds classified as fighting or aggressive has many pet parents scrambling for information and assistance in understanding what this might mean for them and their traveling furry friends.

To start this Post I'll First discuss the specific rule and what it actually means: IATA LAR CR-82, which consist of a few unfamiliar abbreviations that seem confusing but are actually quite simple.

IATA: stands for International Air Transport Association, The trade association for the world’s airlines

LAR: stands for Live Animal Regulations, The Airline Manual written by IATA that sets forth the rules and requirements in regard to transporting 1000’s of animal species along with the container specifications required for their transport

CR: stands for Container Requirement, The Section of rules and/or requirements within the LAR Manual set forth to entail what type of container is required for transporting specific animal species.

#82: stands for Rule number 82, The rules no. pertaining to the exact crate requirements and specifications for transporting potential dangerous animals.

IATA LAR CR-82 READS: the container or crate must be constructed of wood, metal, synthetic materials, weld mesh or wire grate/mesh. Additional design principles regarding frame, sides, floor, roof and doors also apply. No portion of the crate may be plastic. The crate door must be made of heavy wire grate or mesh, metal or reinforced wood and should have a secure means of fastening that cannot be opened accidentally.



IATA LAR CR82 rule itself is not NEW at all. It has been in place for many years it specifies that any animal deemed dangerous ie. wild zoo animals must be transported in a special reinforced crates made entirely of Wood and/or Metal. For safety reasons Plastic Crates or crates built with plastic parts are NOT accepted for the purpose of transporting animals considered dangerous. In early 2012 the rule CR82 was revised to now include specific dog breeds considered aggressive or classified as fighting dogs like the American Bully and the Pit Bull. These specific dog breeds would now be required to be transported in the same type of CR 82 Compliant Crate used to transport wild animals such as Lions, Tigers and Bears. At first this rule seem harsh and a bit unfair but for many pet owners it was a blessing. The revision to CR82 now allowed these same dogs that were banned from flying for many years a second chance and a safer way to now allow them to be able to travel and be transported on airlines once again.

The dog Breeds now required to fly in a reinforced IATA 82 approved crate include:

American Bully

Pit Bull Terriers
American Staffordshire Terriers
Ca de Bou
Cane Corso
Dogo Argentino
Fila Brasileiro
Perro de Presa Canario
Presa Canario
Tosa (or Tosa Ken)

This also includes mixed breeds of these dogs. Determination of the breed is confirmed by the Pets Health Certificate issued by your vet. There are some exceptions to the rule. For instance, United Airlines, their rules currently reads that if your dog or puppy is classified Aggressive but is under the age of six months and under 20-lbs they are not required to travel in the CR82 compliant crate. Also note even if your dog is not listed as A but your dog shows signs of aggression or viciousness during the check in process they have the right to refuse your dog or require you to re-book when you have acquired a custom CR82 Crate for your dog to travel in.