Bringing pets OCONUS

I am wondering how many people here have experience with bringing pets oconus, specifically to Japan, and through the use of a private transportation company?
I received unaccompanied orders out to Oki immediately following return from a deployment, and my wife is to join me accompanied after my new unit moves from Oki to Mainland Japan. As is the nature of a unit move, everything has been changing and they recently changed my wife's date of departure to June instead of August. Since they changed the date, there is no longer space on the patriot express for my dog. I immediately started looking into other options for getting him out here, and have found the costs surprising and at this time a little out of reach.
So, for those who have moved pets overseas, who did you use to get your friend out there, and how much did it end up costing you? And would you recommend that company to others? For those who flew commercial with your pet on the same plane, how were you able to get the military to put you on a commercial flight?

And of course, who can talk about their pet and not show a picture, so here is Uwharrie (Got him from a shelter while camping/off roaring with my wife there, thought it would be appropriate!)-