Moving is stressful for your pets too. Here is how to keep them safe, calm, and comfortable before, during, and after your San Diego move, from a company that has helped thousands of pet-loving families relocate.
By Discount Movers · Updated May 2025 · 6 min read
The Most Important Rule
This cannot be overstated. Pets must always travel with their owners in a personal vehicle. Moving trucks are not temperature-controlled and can reach lethal heat levels in San Diego summers.
A sealed moving truck in San Diego summer can reach 130-150°F inside. This is immediately life-threatening for any animal. Never let anyone suggest loading a pet in a moving truck for any amount of time.
The noise, movement, and darkness of a moving truck is terrifying for animals. Even if temperatures were safe, the psychological stress would be severe. Your pet needs to be with you.
Your pet travels in your vehicle. Period. Plan your move day around this. If you have multiple vehicles, assign one specifically for pet transport with all their essentials: food, water, bedding, and toys.
Before Move Day
Schedule a vet visit 1-2 weeks before your move. Update vaccinations, get copies of medical records, and ask about anxiety medication if your pet gets very stressed by change. Update your pet's microchip information with your new address.
San Diego requires dogs to be licensed with the county. When you move, update your address with San Diego County Animal Services at sandiegocounty.gov. If moving to a new city, check local licensing requirements.
Set out your pet's carrier well in advance. Leave it in a normal spot with familiar bedding inside so your pet gets comfortable with it before move day. A familiar carrier is far less stressful than one that suddenly appears on moving day.
Before you move, research veterinarians in your new neighborhood. San Diego has excellent vet options in every area. Having a vet selected before you need one removes stress after the move.
Update your pet's ID tags with your new address and phone number before move day. Pets often bolt when doors are left open during a move. A current ID tag dramatically increases the chance of getting a lost pet back quickly.
Keep your pet's feeding, walk, and play schedule as normal as possible in the weeks leading up to the move. Routine is the best anti-anxiety tool for animals.
Move Day
When movers arrive, immediately confine your pet to one room with the door clearly marked Do Not Open. Or better, board them for the day. Open doors and moving activity create the perfect escape opportunity for a stressed animal.
The cleanest solution for move day is boarding your pet at a daycare or kennel. They are safe, supervised, away from the chaos, and you can pick them up once you are settled at the new place. San Diego has excellent boarding options in every neighborhood.
Pack a separate bag for your pet with food, water, bowl, medications, favorite toy, and bedding. This bag comes with you in your vehicle, not on the truck. Having everything easily accessible makes the transition smoother.
Never leave a pet in a parked car in San Diego, even with windows cracked. Temperatures rise dangerously fast. Keep your car running with air conditioning if you need to leave your pet in the vehicle for any reason.
Give dogs extra exercise the morning of move day before activity starts. A tired dog is a calmer dog. A long walk or run before the movers arrive can significantly reduce anxiety-related behavior throughout the day.
If possible, bring your pet to the new home before the moving truck arrives. Let them explore and sniff while it is quiet. A familiar scent in a new space helps them claim it as theirs before the disruption of unloading begins.
After the Move
Before unpacking anything else, set up your pet's bed, food and water bowls, litter box (cats), and familiar toys. Familiar smells and objects help them claim the new space as their own.
Let your pet explore the new home gradually under supervision. Close doors to rooms that are not yet safe (filled with boxes, exposed wires, etc.). Gradual exploration is less overwhelming than the whole house at once.
Once your dog is settled, San Diego has fantastic dog parks. Grape Street Dog Park, Morley Field, Fiesta Island, and Dusty Rhodes Park in Ocean Beach are all excellent options. Getting out to a park helps dogs establish new routines quickly.
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