Yes. DFW Pet Lounge & Quarantine is a CDC-registered Animal Care Facility (ACF) serving Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport — the first of its kind in Texas.

We provide specialized veterinary processing, regulatory coordination, secure holding, customs support, and compassionate care for dogs entering the United States under applicable CDC import requirements.

We also provide short-term care for pets already traveling through DFW. We are not a general-public boarding kennel.

CDC: Registered Animal Care Facilities

Requirements depend on where your dog has been during the previous six months and where your dog's rabies vaccination was administered.

Foreign-vaccinated dogs that have been in a CDC-designated high-risk country for dog rabies during the six months before U.S. entry require a reservation at a CDC-registered ACF.

Dogs requiring an ACF must arrive by air at the U.S. airport associated with their ACF reservation. For a reservation with DFW Pet Lounge & Quarantine, your dog's U.S. port of entry must be Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).

Not sure which rules apply? Use the CDC Navigator and send us your dog's information before booking travel.

CDC: Dog Importation Navigator

CDC maintains the official list, and classifications can change. Always check CDC's current list before making travel arrangements.

Requirements are based on where your dog has been during the six months before entering the United States, not simply the country where your trip begins.

CDC: Current High-Risk Countries

Layovers can affect your dog's U.S. entry requirements — including situations where the dog does not leave the airport.

Requirements depend on the countries involved, whether customs clearance occurs during the layover, and whether your dog travels in-cabin, as checked/excess baggage, or as cargo.

CDC: International Layover Guidance

Please tell us when you make your reservation.

Foreign-vaccinated service dogs that have been in a high-risk country during the previous six months may still be subject to CDC import and ACF requirements. CDC has specific provisions for qualifying service dogs, so review the current requirements directly with CDC and coordinate with us and your airline well in advance.

CDC: Dog Importation FAQs

There can be. CDC and USDA regulate different aspects of animal importation, and additional requirements may apply based on your pet's country of origin, travel history, ownership, purpose of import, and disease risks.

Our team reviews applicable requirements as part of the import process and will advise you when additional documentation or veterinary procedures may be required.

USDA APHIS: Dog Import Information

As early as possible — and before finalizing your flight whenever possible.

International pet imports involve document review, airline arrangements, veterinary requirements, customs coordination, and ACF capacity. Starting early gives us time to identify missing or incorrect documentation before your dog travels.

Last-minute requests may be possible depending on availability and document compliance, but should not be relied upon.

Requirements vary based on your dog's travel history, where the rabies vaccination was administered, and your dog's individual import pathway.

Instead of relying on a static checklist that may become outdated, use CDC's Dog Importation Navigator to determine the current federal requirements for your dog.

DFW Pet Lounge & Quarantine will provide a document checklist specific to your reservation and review required documentation before travel.

For foreign-vaccinated dogs arriving from high-risk countries, a valid rabies serology titer from a CDC-approved laboratory can prevent the standard 28-day quarantine.

Testing requirements, timing, and approved laboratories are determined by CDC and can change. Always verify the current requirements directly with CDC before testing.

Only laboratories currently approved by CDC should be used for rabies serology testing associated with these import requirements. Do not rely on an old laboratory list.

CDC: Current Approved Laboratories

Under current CDC requirements, a foreign-vaccinated dog arriving from a high-risk country without a valid CDC-approved rabies serology titer generally requires a 28-day quarantine at the CDC-registered Animal Care Facility.

Certain eligible dogs may qualify for a CDC-approved process that can shorten the quarantine. Eligibility and requirements are determined by CDC and cannot be guaranteed by DFW Pet Lounge & Quarantine.

Foreign-vaccinated dogs arriving from high-risk countries that require ACF processing receive a veterinary examination and revaccination with a U.S.-licensed rabies vaccine as required by CDC.

Please tell us in advance about previous vaccine reactions or significant medical conditions.

CDC: Foreign-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries

This is exactly why we encourage pre-arrival document review.

Our team will identify the issue and explain what is needed to correct it whenever remediation is possible. Depending on the problem, additional documentation, veterinary services, testing, quarantine, government review, or changes to travel plans may be required.

Some deficiencies can prevent a dog from being eligible for entry, so documents should be reviewed before your dog boards the flight to DFW.

CDC: Dog Importation Navigator

Manifested Cargo: Our authorized team collects your dog from the airline's DFW cargo facility after airline and U.S. Customs processing is complete. Transfer can take several hours after landing.

Excess Baggage or In-Cabin: Our team meets you and your dog inside DFW Terminal D and assists with the CBP transfer process. The airline must issue a Post-Entry Air Waybill before your dog can be transferred into our care. This process may take approximately 2–3 hours after arrival.

Once released into our care, your dog is transported to DFW Pet Lounge & Quarantine.

Dogs requiring processing through a CDC-registered Animal Care Facility must complete the applicable federal import requirements before release.

Your dog remains subject to applicable federal controls during this process. DFW Pet Lounge & Quarantine cannot release your dog until required services have been completed and authorization for release has been received.

Yes. Customs coordination is a core part of our international arrival service.

Our team works with our dedicated customs broker, the airline, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to coordinate clearance and transfer for pets arriving through DFW. Processing times are controlled in part by airlines and government authorities and cannot be guaranteed.

Yes. Our experienced animal handlers provide secure, climate-controlled transportation between DFW Airport and our facility when included with your reservation.

Manifested Cargo pets are collected from the applicable airline cargo facility once authorized for transfer. For eligible Excess Baggage and In-Cabin ACF arrivals, our team meets you at Terminal D and assists with the transfer process.

Let us know as soon as you become aware of the change.

Our team coordinates with airlines, handlers, customs, and other parties involved in your dog's transfer. Our operation is designed to accommodate flight disruptions whenever capacity and regulatory requirements allow.

Yes. Animals and airplanes don't operate on a 9-to-5 schedule — and neither do we.

Our services are designed around international airline schedules, cargo operations, delays, and unexpected travel disruptions. Advance reservations are required for regulated ACF imports, but our team will assist with urgent situations whenever legally permissible and operationally possible.

First, we scan your dog's microchip and confirm it matches the import documentation. Then we get your traveler comfortable.

Your dog is checked in, settled into a secure private holding area, offered water and appropriate food, and given an opportunity for a secure outdoor nature break.

Required ACF services are then completed, including the veterinary examination, rabies revaccination, document processing, and any additional testing or quarantine required for your dog's particular import pathway.

Every arrival is different. Length of stay depends on your dog's documentation, rabies titer status, arrival time, veterinary examination, airline and customs processing, and required government approvals.

Dogs arriving with complete, compliant documentation and a valid titer typically move through the process much faster than dogs requiring document remediation, additional testing, or quarantine.

Release dates and times cannot be guaranteed.

Generally, no. Access is restricted while your dog is undergoing required federal import processing.

Our team will keep you updated on your dog's progress and contact you as soon as release has been authorized.

Keep it simple. For regulated international arrivals, the most important items are your dog's required original documents and anything specifically requested by our reservation team.

Please complete our Guest Profile and tell us in advance about medications, prescription diets, allergies, medical conditions, behavioral considerations, or previous vaccine reactions.

We'll provide specific instructions before travel about what should — and should not — accompany your pet.

In many cases, yes. All medications must be disclosed and approved in advance so we can confirm that they can be safely administered.

Medication must arrive properly labeled with clear veterinary instructions. Certain medical conditions or treatment requirements may require additional veterinary coordination before we can accept the reservation.

We provide appropriate nutrition during your dog's stay. If your dog has a prescription diet, food allergy, medical dietary requirement, or other special feeding need, please tell us during the reservation process.

We'll provide instructions if you need to supply a specific food.

Yes. Although CDC Animal Care Facility requirements apply specifically to certain dog imports, DFW Pet Lounge & Quarantine also provides secure short-term care for cats and other eligible pets already traveling through DFW.

Separate holding areas help us provide a calm environment appropriate for different travelers.

Yes — when your pet is already traveling through DFW.

We provide hourly, same-day, overnight, and short-term care for pets arriving, departing, or transiting through Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport. This can be especially useful during long connections, cargo acceptance windows, flight disruptions, or overnight transit.

We are not a general-public vacation boarding facility.

As soon as all required veterinary services are complete and we have received authorization for release.

We'll contact you by email to schedule a 15-minute pickup window once your dog has been cleared.

Please don't travel to the facility until you receive confirmation from our team. We cannot release a pet while a federal hold remains in place.

DFW Pet Lounge & Quarantine
6148 Precinct Line Road
Hurst, Texas 76054

We're approximately 12 miles from Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport, providing convenient access to both DFW passenger terminals and airline cargo facilities while giving traveling pets a quiet, secure place to rest away from the airport environment.