Nelva J. Bryant, DVM, MPH,
The Pet Travel Expert

About

Dr. Nelva Bryant is a veterinarian working at the intersection of veterinary medicine, aviation, public health, and animal welfare. Known as “The Pet Travel Expert®,” she is widely recognized for her work improving the safety and welfare of animals transported by air.

As the only practicing veterinarian working within the airline industry on live animal transportation policy, Dr. Bryant offers a perspective on pet travel that few others in the world can provide.

Dr. Bryant serves as the first in-house veterinarian in the airline industry, working within Delta Air Lines to help develop and oversee policies related to the transportation of live animals. Her work focuses on protecting animal welfare throughout the entire travel journey—from airport check-in and kennel compliance to in-cabin and cargo transport.

Recognizing that safe pet travel requires coordination across many industries, Dr. Bryant founded When Pets Fly®, a veterinary-led educational platform dedicated to helping pet owners, veterinarians, and industry professionals understand the medical, regulatory, and welfare considerations involved in transporting animals.

Through When Pets Fly®, Dr. Bryant provides trusted guidance on topics such as:

International and domestic pet travel preparation
Airline and IATA container requirements for animal transport
CDC dog importation regulations and global entry requirements
Veterinary health assessments for travel readiness
Risk mitigation and animal welfare during air travel

Dr. Bryant’s career combines expertise in veterinary pathology, infectious disease, zoonotic disease prevention, veterinary public health, and animal transportation regulations. Her work bridges veterinary medicine with aviation safety and international animal movement policy.

Dr. Bryant is also helping define the emerging discipline of veterinary air-travel medicine, an area of practice focused on evaluating the medical, environmental, and regulatory risks animals face during air transportation. Her work highlights the importance of veterinary leadership in ensuring that decisions about animal travel consider health, welfare, and safety—not simply documentation requirements.

Dr. Bryant frequently speaks at veterinary conferences, industry events, and educational programs, sharing practical insights gained from working inside the airline industry and supporting safe animal transport worldwide. Her presentations help veterinarians, pet owners, and industry professionals better understand the complex intersection of veterinary medicine, global regulations, and airline transportation policies.

She also serves on advisory boards and collaborates with organizations working to improve animal welfare, transportation safety, and regulatory compliance.

Through her consulting work and the educational resources developed through When Pets Fly®, Dr. Bryant continues to advocate for pet-centric travel preparation and veterinary leadership in animal transportation, helping ensure that animals traveling by air do so safely and humanely.

If you would like Dr. Bryant to speak at your event, review content, collaborate on educational initiatives, or provide expert guidance on pet transportation, please contact her for more information.

Dr. Bryant has presented and collaborated with organizations including: