- Starwood Pet Travel reported corporate pet relocation inquiries increased nearly 300% between 2019 and 2024.
- AIRINC found that 49% of surveyed companies now offer some level of pet relocation benefit, up from 37% in 2022.
- Employers are increasingly replacing ad hoc accommodations with formal pet relocation policies.
- Higher education, technology, energy, professional services, and construction generated the highest demand for corporate pet relocation services.
- The findings suggest pet relocation is becoming a competitive benefit for employers seeking to attract and retain globally mobile talent.
As international workforce mobility continues to evolve, pet relocation is emerging as a more prominent employee benefit, according to new data released by Starwood Pet Travel and global mobility benchmarking firm AIRINC.
The organizations report that growing pet ownership and increasing emphasis on employee experience are prompting more employers to include pet transportation as part of relocation packages.
Corporate demand continues to rise
According to Starwood Pet Travel, corporate inquiries for professional pet relocation services increased from 1,163 in 2019 to 4,545 in 2024, representing nearly 300% growth over five years. The company said demand remained strong in 2025 and is on pace to reach another record in 2026.
At the same time, AIRINC’s 2025 Long Term Assignment Survey found that nearly half (49%) of participating employers now provide some form of pet shipment benefit for relocating employees, compared with 37% in 2022.
Conversely, the proportion of employers offering no pet relocation assistance declined from 62% to 51% during the same period.
Policies become more structured
The survey of 166 global companies found that employers are increasingly formalizing pet relocation policies rather than handling requests on an exception basis.
Among organizations offering the benefit, the most common limitations included caps on the number of pets covered, reimbursement limits, and restrictions based on pet type. Only a small percentage reported offering unlimited pet relocation benefits.
Sheri Gaster, senior director of advisory services at AIRINC, said the findings indicate that organizations are increasingly viewing pet relocation as a practical component of employee relocation programs rather than an optional perk.
A growing consideration for global assignments
Starwood Pet Travel reported that demand spans multiple industries, with higher education, technology, energy, professional services, and construction accounting for many relocation requests.
International relocations often require extensive planning, including import permits, veterinary health documentation, government approvals, quarantine arrangements, and airline coordination, particularly for destinations such as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
The organizations say supporting employees through those logistics can improve relocation experiences and reduce barriers to accepting domestic and international assignments as competition for skilled talent continues.
Information sourced from the companies’ press release.
