Pet Relocation Emerges as One of the Fastest-Growing Segments of Global Mobility, New Data from Starwood Pet Travel and AIRINC Reveals

Corporate pet relocation inquiries grew nearly 300% over five years as employers race to formalize benefits — with nearly half of companies now covering pet shipment in some form

CAPE CORAL, Fla., June 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Starwood Pet Travel, a leading provider of international and domestic pet relocation services, and AIRINC, a global mobility data and benchmarking firm, today released new data showing that pet relocation has become one of the fastest-growing components of corporate relocation programs — a trend driven by surging pet ownership, increased employer flexibility, and a fundamental shift in how companies think about the employee relocation experience.

According to Starwood Pet Travel's client data, the number of corporate employees seeking professional pet relocation assistance grew by nearly 300 percent in five years, rising from 1,163 inquiries in 2019 to 4,545 in 2024. Volume held steady at 4,504 in 2025, and 2026 is on pace to be the highest year on record. Across the full period from 2019 through 2025, Starwood averaged more than 3,200 corporate pet relocation inquiries per year.

Concurrently, new benchmarking data from AIRINC's annual Long Term Assignment Survey shows that employer policies are rapidly catching up to employee demand. In 2022, just 37 percent of surveyed companies provided pet shipment to the host location in any form — either fully or selectively. By 2025, that figure had climbed to 49 percent, meaning nearly half of all participating companies now cover pet relocation to some degree. Over the same period, the share of companies offering no pet shipment benefit fell from 62 percent to 51 percent.

The data tells a clear story: pet relocation is no longer a fringe perk. It's becoming a mainstream component of competitive global mobility programs.

"The numbers we're seeing reflect a real change in how employees approach relocation decisions," said Adam Melton, VP of Strategic Initiatives at Starwood Pet Travel. "For a growing share of the workforce, their pet isn't just a pet — it's family. Companies that recognize this and build it into their mobility programs are better positioned to get the right people to say yes to the right assignments."

Employer Policies Are Formalizing Fast

AIRINC's survey data, drawn from 166 global companies in 2025, reveals not only that more employers are covering pet shipment — but that the structure of those policies is maturing. Among companies that do provide a pet shipment benefit, the most common limitation is by number of pets (43 percent of respondents), followed by cash cap (29 percent) and restrictions by pet type (20 percent). Only 10 percent of companies offering the benefit report placing no limits at all, suggesting that while adoption is rising, most programs are still being carefully scoped.

Compared to 2022, when fewer companies offered any benefit and policy detail was less refined, the 2025 data suggests the industry is moving from ad hoc accommodation toward structured, intentional policy design.

"What we're seeing in the benchmarking data is a clear shift from ad hoc exceptions to formalized policy. As organizations place greater emphasis on employee experience and assignment acceptance, support for pet relocation is increasingly being viewed as a practical component of a well-rounded mobility program rather than an optional perk. The growth we've observed over the past several years suggests that mobility teams are recognizing the important role pets play in relocation decisions and are adapting their policies accordingly." said Sheri Gaster, Sr. Director of Advisory Services, AIRINC.

Who Is Relocating With Pets — and Where

Starwood Pet Travel's client data reveals that corporate pet relocation requests span a broad range of industries. Higher education, technology, oil and energy, professional services, and construction represent the most active sectors — a mix that reflects the diversity of internationally mobile workforces. Geographically, while the United States accounts for the largest share of inquiries, significant volume originates from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and South Africa.

The complexity of these moves varies considerably. Some involve a single domestic flight with a small dog in-cabin. Others — particularly moves to Australia, New Zealand, Japan, or the United Kingdom — require months of preparation, government import permits, USDA health endorsements, quarantine reservations, and multi-carrier airline coordination. Starwood Pet manages this complexity end-to-end on behalf of relocating employees and the companies supporting them.

What This Means for Global Mobility Programs

For global mobility managers and HR leaders, the implications are practical. Employees who receive support for pet relocation report higher satisfaction with their overall relocation experience, and companies that proactively address pet logistics reduce a significant source of assignment hesitation. As talent competition intensifies and international assignments become more complex, pet relocation has moved from a "nice to have" to a genuine differentiator in the competition for mobile talent.

Both Starwood Pet Travel and AIRINC are available to advise global mobility teams on how to design, benchmark, and implement pet relocation policies that meet the needs of today's workforce.

About Starwood Pet Travel
Starwood Pet Travel is a full-service pet relocation company specializing in domestic and international moves for pets of all sizes. With a team of dedicated relocation specialists and decades of combined experience, Starwood manages every aspect of the journey — from health certifications and government paperwork to airline booking, crate preparation, and in-country delivery. Starwood serves individual families, corporate relocation programs, and global mobility managers worldwide. Learn more at starwoodpet.com.

About AIRINC
Better Mobility Starts, Thrives, Evolves Here.

AIRINC empowers companies to make informed decisions about mobile talent deployment with the right allowances, technology, and consulting. We listen to your goals and challenges and deliver solutions that make Mobility better for your company.

With your success in mind, AIRINC Advisory Services guides you on a journey towards a new Mobility program. We help you make informed decisions, create solutions to meet your needs, advocate for change, and implement your solution. Partner with AIRINC to unlock your full Mobility potential.

This is the AIRINC experience. This is Better Mobility.

Media Contact

Georgiana Strait
Marketing Manager, Starwood Pet Travel
[email protected] | 573-337-8415

Catherine Tylke
Sr Manager Global Marketing, AIRINC
[email protected] | +44 7867 488 115

SOURCE Starwood Pet Travel