We have an elderly dog, Daisy, the black miniature poodle who is 15 1/2. We didn't want to leave her home due to her age, so we took her to Eleuthera with us this past trip. She weighs about 20 lbs, but American Airlines advised she was too big too put in a carrier under the seat. Continental Airlines would not work for her either. We could not put her in any cargo due to the heat. There was a recent episode of seven dogs who died on a flight to Chicago due to heat; here is the CNN link to this story. The pet friendly airlines that we found that could take our dog to Eleuthera in a carrier on our lap were the smaller carriers, TwinAir and Fly Yellow Air Taxi. We only knew about Twin Air at the time we reserved our flight, so we used Twin Air out of Fort Lauderdale. They charged $50 for Daisy, and she seemed to do well on the flight.
To bring your pet to the Bahamas, you need to complete the permit import form (link below) and send $10 in cash or money order to the address in Nassau on the form (add $5 extra if you want the form fax'd to you). Then you will also need to make sure your pet has the proper vaccinations listed on the permit form sent to you, and your pet must be seen by your local veterinarian within 48 hours of boarding who will sign off on the health of the dog (if healthy to travel), and provide you with the Bahamian export documentation papers (in addition to the permit form) with the vet's signature for you to provide to Customs upon your arrival to the Bahamas, and your return flight back to your country of origin. This was our first time bringing a pet to the Bahamas, and Daisy seemed to enjoy her trip!
Here is the link for the Bahamas Pet Import Requirements and Form
