Buying Used Pet Crates, Airline Carriers, and Dog Supplies in Colombia

Quick answer: a used cabin bag and a used hold crate are two different purchases, and the airline judges the animal plus the box, not the box alone. Measure your dog first, check the airline's current limits, then inspect every bolt, latch and seam before you hand over cash.

I would not buy a kennel from a photo alone. A crate that carried a dog once is not "approved" for the next trip, and a cheap one can be refused at the counter after you have already paid for it. This guide is about that purchase decision. For booking, quotas and buses, use the domestic pet-travel guide.

Measure the dog before you answer an ad

IATA's Container Requirement 1 (Edition 52, January 2026) says the animal must be able to stand, sit erect, lie naturally and turn around while standing. For one animal, its guidance for the internal size is:

• Length: nose to tail base, plus half the elbow height.
• Width: twice the shoulder width, or the widest point.
• Height: standing height, plus bedding.

Snub-nosed breeds need a container 10% larger. Animals over 14 kg are crated alone; two compatible adults of up to 14 kg each may share. Treat the formula as guidance: your dog still has to stand and turn inside the box. Ask the seller for internal measurements, not the outside dimensions printed on the shell.

Cabin carrier versus hold crate: the airline decides

Carriers are not interchangeable between airlines. A bag that fits one can fail the other.

LATAM also caps pet plus kennel by aircraft type: on single-aisle aircraft, up to 32 kg on flights up to 4 hours and 23 kg on flights of 4 to 5 hours, and the service is not offered beyond 5 hours. Twin-aisle aircraft allow up to 45 kg, or 32 kg to, from or via Europe, Argentina or Venezuela. Avianca's own pages (accessed 9 November 2026) also say pet space must be requested at least 48 hours ahead and is subject to quota. A ticket does not include the pet.

One legal point to keep straight: moving a dog or cat inside Colombia does not require an ICA Certificado de Inspección Sanitaria. The airline can still ask for a vaccination-card copy and its own vet note with a license number (per ICA and OPAIN, as accessed 9 November 2026).

Flat-faced dogs are the exception to plan around. Avianca carries brachycephalic dogs and cats in the cabin only, and Supertransporte's October 2026 guidance also warns against putting short-nosed breeds in the hold. Do not buy a hold crate as the plan for one of those dogs.

The used rigid-crate inspection

Judge the crate against construction rules, not a brand name. IATA says it does not certify any crate brand, so a sticker reading "IATA approved" means nothing by itself. Bring a tape measure and take your time at the handover.

1. Bolts. Two-part plastic crates must be bolted. Plastic clips cannot be the only fasteners, and IATA recommends metal nuts and bolts in every hole. Count the holes.
2. Door and pins. Locking pins must engage by at least 1.6 cm. Rigid plastic doors should also take removable fasteners such as cable ties at the four corners. Open and close the door ten times.
3. Ventilation. At least 16% of the four side walls, on all four sides, with side and back openings in the upper two-thirds. Openings no bigger than 25 × 25 mm for dogs, 19 × 19 mm for cats. One end, which may be the door, must be welded wire mesh.
4. Mesh and latches. Avianca refuses rusted mesh and latches that do not work.
5. Floor. Solid and leak-proof. Look for hairline cracks around the corners.
6. Wheels. Removed, or made inoperable. Avianca asks that wheels be locked.
7. Bowls. Separate food and water containers fixed inside, empty, and fillable from outside.
8. Body. A crate made entirely of wire mesh must not be used. Avoid it however cheap it is.

Honest downside: a good crate that is only slightly cracked is still a bad buy. Cracked plastic is the one flaw I would not negotiate around.

What the counter refuses

Staff can turn away a crate for damaged hardware, an all-wire body, rusted mesh, dead latches or a leaking floor. Large or aggressive dogs on Avianca need a wood or metal crate with two locks on each side of the door. For the handling breeds Avianca names, it allows metal walls, or a basket muzzle if the crate is plastic. Sedation is not recommended by IATA and LATAM does not accept sedated animals, so do not count on a bigger, calmer-looking box to fix a stressed dog.

Avianca's starting domestic charges, taxes included, are from COP 80,000 in the cabin and from COP 225,000 in the hold (Avianca help pages, accessed 9 November 2026). High season can add up to USD 20 in the months it lists. Confirm your quote for your date.

Cleaning a used crate

There is no official consumer recipe, so I will not invent a chemical ratio. The airline standard is simple: clean and leak-proof. Wash the shell and hardware, dry it fully, replace bedding, and walk away from plastic that is cracked or smells of old urine you cannot remove. For food, beds and bowls, as opposed to flight hardware, see the pet supplies guide.

Papers the crate does not replace

A crate is not a health document. Entering Colombia still means document review, a physical inspection and an ICA Certificado de Inspección Sanitaria (Resolución 100164 de 2021). Dogs and cats need no Documento Zoosanitario de Importación. According to ICA (accessed 9 November 2026):

• The origin official health certificate must be no older than 10 calendar days, and must record an internal and external antiparasitic treatment within the previous 60 days.
• A first rabies vaccine must be given at least 21 days before boarding, and minimum age at entry is 15 weeks.
• A crate or muzzle is optional at inspection; the inspector just needs easy access to the animal.
• The ICA office at El Dorado is at the Centro Administrativo de Carga, Av. Calle 26 N° 106-39, piso 3, Bogotá. ICA takes cards, not cash. Check the current tariff on ICA's site.

Flying in? Read the import guide. Leaving? Use the export guide.

Buying and listing safely in Colombia

For general second-hand context, see these used-goods marketplaces. For pet gear specifically, a trustworthy ad shows internal measurements, the empty weight, close photos of bolts and the door latch, and where the handover happens. Never pay a deposit to a seller you have not met, and test the latches in person.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Can I fly with a second-hand pet crate in Colombia?

Yes, if the airline accepts its size and condition. A previous trip does not approve it. Check bolts, latches, leaks and the carrier's current rules before buying, because staff decide at the counter (verify with the official source, as accessed).

❓ Will an Avianca cabin carrier fit on LATAM?

Not necessarily. Avianca's cabin maximum is 55 × 35 × 25 cm, while LATAM's cabin maximums are 36 × 33 × 19 cm rigid or 40 × 28 × 25 cm flexible. Check the airline you will actually fly (verify with the official source, as accessed).

❓ Do I need an ICA certificate to fly my dog between Colombian cities?

No. ICA does not require a Certificado de Inspección Sanitaria for movement inside the country. The airline may still ask for a vaccination-card copy and its own vet note with a license number (verify with the official source, as accessed).

❓ What should I check on a used plastic airline kennel?

Look for metal nuts and bolts in every hole, not plastic clips alone, and a door whose pins still lock. Also check upper-side ventilation, rust-free mesh, a solid leak-proof floor and wheels that can be locked or removed (verify with the official source, as accessed).

❓ Does the crate replace the health papers when I enter Colombia?

No. Entry still needs the origin official health certificate, current vaccines and an ICA inspection. The crate only has to let the inspector reach the animal easily (verify with the official source, as accessed).

❓ How much does Avianca charge to carry a pet inside Colombia?

Avianca's published starting charges, taxes included, are from COP 80,000 in the cabin and from COP 225,000 in the hold. High season can add up to USD 20, so confirm your quote for your date (verify with the official source, as accessed).

❓ Can a flat-faced dog travel in the baggage hold?

Avianca carries brachycephalic dogs and cats in the cabin only, and Supertransporte warns against putting short-nosed breeds in the hold. Do not plan a hold crate for these dogs (verify with the official source, as accessed).