I was recommended to Pets in Transit by my vet to assist with the move of my 1-year old Labrador retriever from Chicago to Germany. We worked directly with Ted and he made the process SO easy and the prices were very competitive compared to the other vendors we researched. We found out a few days before our departure that O'hare cancelled all live animal travel in cargo and Ted was incredibly helpful during this stressful time. He called the airlines and ORD directly on our behalf to find a solution. If you need to send a pet internationally in the cargo hold, Pets in Transit is a great choice! read more

We used Pets in Transit to move our two dogs from the US to the UK and couldn't have been more pleased. Ted helped us through every step of the process, explaining clearly and patiently all that needed to be done, checking and re-checking our paperwork, and ironing out all of the details for us. With constantly changing rules and regulations for international pet travel (especially to the UK) it was great to have someone as good as Ted to help us get through it all. I was especially pleased that he was the only person who worked with us for the entire process, so I didn't have to keep re-explaining our particular situation or needs. On the day of travel Ted met us near O'Hare where we handed off our two beloved dogs for their flight to London. He even texted us pictures as they were checked into the flight and let us know when they had safely taken off. 12 hours later we were all reunited in London after an extremely smooth process. I can't recommend Ted and Pets in Transit enough. He took so much of the stress out of a very stressful situation and took great care of our dogs. At first I thought the price for this service was high, but after we arrived we agreed that we would have paid double if we had known he would make it all so easy. read more

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My life is now complete, I have a way to get my dog around in case of emergency or a really great party that he needs to attend. I booked these guys to take Egon to the Dog Spa II (a.k.a. my brother's house) for Day Before Memorial Day backyard hijinks. This is so great. I can book on the web, and pay with a credit card ahead of time, so no fiddling with that day of. What a relief to have this service! For a non driver like me, it's worth every penny - and the rate doesn't even require that many pennies. UPDATED TO ADD: Well, it's a holiday weekend, and he's not sure if there's drivers available. But, the guy is SO helpful, and is paging all his guys. So, I may still get a drive. Regardless, this number is in my pet resource file for sure!! read more

My husband and I moved to Ireland recently. On our way we stopped off in Chicago with our two golden retrievers Emma and Kodi to visit family, and fly direct to Dublin with our pets on American Airlines. We got to the USDA to have their certificates signed off on and we were told (the day before the flight) that they couldn't sign the forms because Emma's vaccination for rabies hadn't been completed after she had been microchipped. We were devastated. We had gone to two vets prior to going to the USDA to ensure everything was correct. Additionally we found out that American Airlines changed their pet policy after we bought tickets, and that they didn't fly pets across the Atlantic. We were to put it mildly in a state of panic. We were recommended by a very nice agent at the USDA to Teds company. We called and left a message with Ted and by the time we had sat down to get coffee, he called us back. We informed him of our situation and he immediately went to work helping us fix it. He arranged for us to drop our pups off at a reputable boarding facility and he then handled the entire case for us. Emma has to wait 21 days before she could travel, not to mention we had no idea how to get her and Kodi to us. Ted handled everything for us. He got her vaccinated properly. Took them on daily walks. Got all of the paper work done perfectly not just in the US but in Ireland too. Organized and got the airfare situated. Sent us almost daily updates via text and email with pictures of how they were doing. Yesterday we picked up our pups from the Dublin airport and they're in tip top shape and extremely happy to be here. I can't thank Ted and his team enough for the incredible service they provided in our hour of emergency. Thank you so very much Ted! read more

Ted handled the receiving end of bringing a puppy into the US for us. He was easy to deal with, emailed and called at all the critical points, and handled everything in a prompt professional manner. Highly recommend. read more

I realize I am risking the scorn of friends and acquaintances, admitting that I have used a pet taxi service for my dog, but 1) If you met Grace for 5 minutes, you would realize that she is a princess worthy of her own taxi service, and 2) Paws Around Chicago bailed me out big time in an emergency, with total professionalism and love for my dog. If only there were more than 5 stars... Over New Years, we had boarded Grace at the Pooch Hotel on Clybourn (also a 5-star pet service, but that's another review). When we returned on Jan 3, and got in our car to pick her up from boarding that morning, the battery was dead! Being new to the city, knowing few neighbors and having only the one car, we were stuck until roadside service arrived. But Grace needed to come home! (The food we had provided was only enough to last her through that morning.) The good people at Pooch suggested Paws Around Chicago. I called at 8:00 am, they returned my call promptly, and said they could pick up Grace by 10:00 am. Sure enough, at 10:15, they arrived at our house, retrieved Grace from the secure kennel area at the back of their van, and delivered her safe and sound. Cost for the one-way ride was $25 (which, for non-dog-lovers, I understand, sounds exorbitent). But the peace of mind knowing that Grace was in good hands was priceless. I would definitely use them again! read more

I noticed this van on the Kennedy at first because of the word "Paws." I am an animal lover, with two dogs during the week (when we are up here for my job) and five dogs on the weekends (when we go downstate to stay with my husband and our horses). Unfortunately, the van got my complete attention because of erratic driving, cutting in front of people, and then trying to pass in the single lane on the Ogden exit ramp! I would never let my dogs ride in a van that was driven in this manner. I'd encourage other people who see this van to post whether unsafe driving is an aberration or standard practice. I am not sure if owners ride with their dogs in the van--perhaps the driver only takes risks when driving alone? read more

Update time: I had occasion to call Ted yesterday because my cat began to limp and was in obvious distress. He had a really full schedule but managed to fit me in, and called several times to keep me updated on his progress. I can't say enough good things about Ted and his service. He obviously cares about what he's doing and about his clients, both human and non-human. He remembers us from year to year -- no mean feat when you see so many people and so many pets so irregularly. Ted is one of the good guys and if I had my way he'd be running a fleet of vans and rolling in dough for all that he does for us and our companions. It doesn't get better than this. read more

Relocating with 2 dogs from San Diego California to England. What a daunting task! But Pets in Transit and especially Ted Castro were there for me every step of the way. Ted responded to my concerns in a compassionate and efficient way. No question was too insignificant for him. I cannot say enough great things about him and his team. We were met in Los Angeles and his team helped me get the dogs checked in without any problems. We all made it and are now hapy enjoying the great British summer. Thanks! read more

I am very happy with the service I received from this business; here's why. After numerous conversations with Ted [we had these conversations because my travel plans were not finalized] Ted assured me he would be able to help me transport my dog Bear, myself and cat Lucy to the airport. One concern regarding the travel was the weather - too hot and I could not travel and since they knew this, I received a call that morning to verify we were a go - very nice and professional IMHO. On the day of travel Nathan got to my house a bit early to ensure we would not be late; however I was out running last minute errands and missed his call. When I did get home, he was there waiting for me. I was so frazzled and anxious but he was cool and calming and patient with me throughout the whole loading process. Once we got to the airport, I was very uneasy about getting my dog check-in as well as getting myself and Lucy checked in. Nathan patiently waited for me to get things done and was so reassuring I can't tell you how much that meant to me. I should also add that the folks at Midway airlines were very nice as well [I need to rate them too]. All-in-all it was a great experience and I would definitely use them again. Thanks You Paws!! read more

Paws Around Chicago has been servicing us since 2006. Owner Ted has always been highly professional and goes out of his way to see that his clients are looked after. One dog, Socks, is 12 and had a recurring eye infection that required going to the eye specialist every week or so. Ted not only made sure that we were squeezed in despite challenging schedules, he would walk us up to the front desk to check us in, even calling the hospital ahead of time if we were to be late due to traffic conditions. Who does this in Chicago? No one. Ted is a case book study of how to acquire and keep customers. To the reviewer who gave Paws one star for the alleged erratic driving: I'd trust them with my pets over trusting you with fair ratings. It's a bit rich of you to be assigning one star to them when you haven't used their services. read more

The only reason I'm giving them 2 stars is because our pet did arrive safely, not for business practices. We used them for an international transport overseas. If you have the luxury of shopping around please do. We were relocating, from the U.S. to the Middle East. We were quoted a price, which included transportation of our pet from Nashville to Chicago which added another 500-750 to our bill (the majority of which was transportation to and from the airport--the flight was inexpensive). When we provided another way to Chicago--other charges were explained/added to make up the money we were saving. We paid the bill, because our dog is part of or family. Then we saw the airline/airway bill which was almost 500 LESS than we were charged. When questioned asked about a refund we were told that wasn't accurate, but would receive a partial refund. We have NOT received that refund, it has been well over a month. We do keep getting invoices saying we owe money--which we have already paid in full. Emails and phone calls go unanswered. Shop around if you have options. Update--we received ~$200, refund on 8/6. read more

Paws Around Chicago/ Pets in Transit SAVED ME. I was faced with a cross-country move with two cats. Many airlines allow pets in the cabin as long as they meet certain size requirements. Unfortunately, one of my felines is obese and not about to lose 5lbs in time for the move. After days of research, finding out most airlines don't transport animals as cargo during summer months, and a lot of hair-pulling, I found myself with two options: a pet relocation service, or three hellish days of driving across the country with pissed off animals. The first service I contacted quoted me at least double Paws Around Chicago's price, and would add an additional $300 per pet per week if I wanted to hurry the process along. By the time I got in contact with Ted, I was pretty frustrated. But he had everything scheduled and ready in less than 24 hours. Changing the flight date was easy and all the logistics with the airline were squared away for me. He even coordinated with the agent on the other end of the trip, and the whole service was door-to-door. Once the cats were off to the airport I was happy to see them go and was sure they were in great hands. As a cherry on the cake- they sent me a text message with pictures of both cats chilling in their carriers waiting to board the flight. A+ A+!!! read more

I spoke to a number of pet shippers, and being the summer in Texas and Covid time with few flights for furry ones, was eventually referred to Ted at Pets In Transit. Like the others, he gave very high touch customer service and was very professional. If you want to fly a pet out of ORD I recommend this company 110% read more

We had to ship our Scottish terrier, Ollie, from Chicago to Manchester back in February. I contacted 4 or 5 pet shippers and all provided similar quotes apart from one which was about $500 cheaper than the rest. As I investigated further I found that most of the shippers wanted at least 4 weeks notice to ship a pet and we wanted to travel ASAP. I also realised, thanks to Ted Castro's detailed quote, that the shipper who was $500 cheaper than the others had omitted charges that we would have had to have paid in the UK, so he wasn't so much cheaper as not revealing the full cost! So we eliminated him as being incompetent and/or dishonest and with costs being broadly similar it all came down to who could provide the service we wanted. After some communications the others either insisted on 4 weeks notice or simply didn't respond. This is were Ted stood out from the rest, not only did he respond rapidly and politely to all of the "silly" questions we asked (we'd never done this before) but he offered an express booking service which meant that we were able to book flights with United via Newark (we wanted to avoid American and British Airways and Aer Lingus were under an animal shipment embargo at the time) in about 12 days time! Once Ollie's booking was confirmed, we booked ourselves on the same flights. We then had to organise the crate and all of the documentation for Ollie and Ted did a fantastic job of guiding us through this process. Then came the day of the flight and the Chicago area was hit with heavy snow which of course disrupted travel. As a result we were about 15 minutes late meeting up with Ted but stayed in contact on our trip to O'Hare. Ted was also delayed by traffic but he was ready and waiting for us when we eventually arrived. He took Ollie and the paperwork off us after a double check that the paperwork was in order. We then went on to the airport and checked in ourselves and found that our flight was delayed by about 2 hours. Never mind, we had a 4 hour connection at Newark so that wasn't a concern. But then the delay increased to 3 hours and then 4 hours! Would we make our connection? Throughout this, we were keeping Ted informed of updates and he was in communication with United too. Because things were tight, Ted informed us that if we missed our connection at Newark and since the next flight to Manchester wasn't until the next day then United would put both Ollie and us up in hotels and in Ollie's doggie hotel he'd be fed, exercised and looked after. As we were about to board our flight Ted told us that the weather had also affected flights from New York so it was likely that our Manchester flight was delayed too but he'd be in communication with United while we were in flight mode so they'd be aware of the situation and would update us when we arrived in Newark. We'd been advised to let the cabin crew know that we were travelling with an animal and that the captain was aware when we boarded. We did this at O'Hare but the cabin crew's attitude was "so what?" which was a bit of a concern. However, I was able to see the United "pet" van in attendance at our plane so I guessed that was Ollie on board. When we arrived at Newark, I saw another United pet van in attendance and saw the staff take Ollie's crate off the plane and into the van before we'd been able to leave our seats. He was getting first class treatment! Ted updated us that the Manchester flight had indeed been delayed and we had 40 minutes to make the connection and United were aware that Ollie had to make the connection too. As we boarded the plane we again informed the cabin crew and I again saw the United pet van in attendance. In spite of this, when the doors were closed we still did not know for certain that Ollie was on the flight but then the stewardess who we had spoken to earlier came down the plane with the captain to let us know in person that Ollie was safely on board. So 5-stars to the United crew for that! When we arrived at Manchester and had got through immigration and customs I phoned Ted's Manchester contact. He was expecting my call and was on the case. We'd been told that it might take over 2 hours for Ollie to clear customs but before we'd even reached the animal centre we got another call to say that Ollie was ready to be collected! So we collected our somewhat shocked, jet-lagged but 100% healthy dog and continued on our way. So, if I could give more than 5 stars to Ted I would do and I have no hesitation to recommend his service. Indeed, I did just this some months later to a former colleague who was shipping 2 cats and a dog from Chicago to Sweden and he said that he also got a superior service from Ted and his pets also arrived safely. read more

I used the service for the worst of reasons - my dog's cancer was worsening & it was time to stop the pain. I called the pet taxi emergency service primarily because my dog could not climb the stairs anymore and I wanted the stretcher. Ted was so caring and professional at such a difficult time. It must be hard to come to a call knowing that the pet will not be returning. I will always be grateful to Ted for making a horrible situation a little easier, it meant the world to me. read more

I have never used their services (since I've always had a car when having a dog) but I used to manage a boarding facility that a lot of the dogs being boarded would use him. Often the owner of Paws ARound would be dropping the dogs off without the owners there and he was very thorough and knew exactly what the owners wanted for their dogs. We would often get spouses that didn't even know what they wanted out of the boarding! I am a dog trainer in the city and often my clients ask me if someone does this and I always refer them to Paws Around! read more

Ted is great. He always provides a great service, and is reasonable about the cost. He is honest, on time, and really polite. I would refer anyone to his services. read more

I like this company a lot for transporting dogs to and from different location. Ted the owner is very nice and he loves the dogs. If you need helping transporting a big dog this is the company to use. read more

We needed pet transport for our 130 pound Rottweiller and were lucky to find Ted Castro's Company online. This guy is the genuine article, a great service provided by a great man. I rode with my best friend to the hospital while my wife followed in our Big dumb SUV. It doesnt get any better for pet transport needs! read more

We needed to get our 165 lb Great Dane from Highland Park to Tops in Greyslake for rehab on short notice. I used the Paws Around Chicago web form to schedule an appointment on Sunday afternoon for a Monday afternoon transport and received a call back from Ted in less then 20 minutes! Amazing response time. He managed to fit our transport need into a busy schedule even though it was outside of their normal routes. Ted was proactive and informative about how we could handle our huge dog who was unable to walk on his own. Ted showed up exactly on time & assessed the situation at hand. Despite a less than friendly reception from our stressed out dog, he pitched in & helped carry him from our house to his exceptionally well equipped van. I rode in the van with our dog, and the driving was professional and conservative, exactly how I drive when I have a pet in the car. Ted was obviously concerned with the comfort and well being of our dog during the transfer. When we arrived at Tops, the staff was there to greet us & Ted again pitched in, assisting with the considerable effort required to get our dog safely from the transport van into the clinic. Ted waited patiently while we got our pet situated and comfortable in the exam room, and even remembered to off load the dog bed I had brought along but forgotten about in the stress of getting our guy comfy. I was thoroughly impressed with the customer service and professionalism provided and would not hesitate to recommend Paws Around Chicago to anyone needing safe, professional transport of a beloved pet. read more

They get 5 stars and I didn't even get the chance to use them yet! I called them at 4p on a Friday, desperate for an after hours ride. All previous plans had fallen through for picking up our newly adopted cat. Ted answered(1 star) and said that unfortunately they did not have a driver available for the (short notice, after hours, non-emergency, special request) time I needed. BUT, he said he would see what he could work out (1 star) and promised to call me back within 45 minutes. He called me back(1 star!) in ten minutes (1 star!) and apologized (1 star) but the other driver was not able to switch with him... But he was super nice and tried to help and suggested an alternative. THAT is customer service! Considering that the other 3 places I had called didn't even call me back, Paws Around Chicago has stand-out customer service. So that's 5 stars to you guys. You actually care! Thank you! read more

I would like to say a BIG THANK YOU!!! to Paws Around Chicago and the company's owner - Ted Castro - for helping me to move my old cat, first from Montreal (Canada) to Chicago and then from a hotel in Chicago to my new home in the Windy City. Not only is Ted a professional who loves animals, but he is also a very nice and friendly person. I highly recommend Paws Around Chicago to all those who love animals and need help to transport their beloved pets within Chicago city limits or long distance. read more

Great, professional service, I was flying with my dog from O'Hare and they got me there with no problems, couldn't be nicer or more helpful. I thought getting to the airport with a huge crate, baggage and a stressed out dog was going to be a nightmare, but they made everything go extremely well, if you must travel with your pet definitely trust them to do it right. read more

we have a huge newfoundland that i can no longer get into our suv safely. ted and his crew have been great about getting her to and from boarding/ and or grooming appointments! they are always timely and respond quickly-even though i am sure their schedules are busy. they are a lifesaver for a mom with a three yr. old. Our dog always goes&returns happy! read more