I was wondering about that too; it looks like you could rent a car for $500 - $600 a month, which would include insurance and full warranty maintenance. You could probably suspend your insurance on the car if you left it in safe circumstances in NC.

I did find this site which looks somewhat independent that ranks some shipping companies. No endorsement, of course. https://www.move.org/best-car-shipping-companies/

Good to hear. I would still have a plan b just in case as we do get below that here at times, although it isn't the norm.

My parents are plan B. hehehehehe :)

We plan to fly in a day before the dog to get everything set up - keys to apt, bedding, food, etc. I think it will provide an easier transition for him. My parents will take him to airport.

Where did you find rental that inexpensive? I looked and it was several thousand dollars for 3 months

Parents as plan b is perfect! Glad it is all coming together. Enjoy your time out here once you arrive.

I used Expedia and looked for one month rentals rather than three. You'd just take out a new rental contract at the end of each month. Don't use the airport for pick-up due to high taxes and fees.

You know the details for your Seattle months but is there a chance you won't need a car there? Factor in possible parking charges and it may be less expensive to rely on Uber/Lyft. All that depends on where you live/work, of course.

Flying sounds better.

I agree to look into the idea of not having a car for the entire 3 months. Of course depends on how far away you would live from job and parking situtations at work /home. Does the employer offer carpool/vanpool matching or other subsidized commuter options? Would parking be free at work and your temporary home?

Car rental costs are higher if you're under 25, also. Check out Enterprise, usually good rates at off-airport properties in exchange for no Sunday hours. Also something like a discounted rate if you've got Auto Club, Costco, etc.

Yeah, it would be nice to have a car for exploring but you can always rent one for weekends and the weather isn't that nice for the next three months anyways.

For a car rental you also might just call the company directly and I recommend Enterprise also. Just ask for what you want and see what they offer. We had a lengthy car repair and they were great to us, admittedly through the insurance company. But I find they are ready to negotiate.
Before you cancel your insurance check that it can EASILY be reinstated. In NY state it was a huge problem to a friend. I doubt NC is that way, but just be sure.

You also might check with your vet (and you'll need a lot of stuff from him anyway to ship the dog) whether a mild sedative is in the books.

I would favor renting a car on non-work days and using the public transit to get to and from work . Without a dog with you taking 3 trains would be possible. The first train would be to Washington DC followed by the Capitol Limited overnight to Chicago and the third the Empire Builder from Chicago all the way to Seattle King St. station.
I most often rent cars from Enterprise since I earn at least 2 Amtrak Guest Rewards points per dollar spent. The AGR program is free to join and has scored me several trips over the years I have been riding Amtrak.
In February, my wife and I are traveling from central Oregon to Tucson. Two segments of our trip are "free". We don't have the worry of driving in winter weather except for the short trip to the Chemult station.
On the return I will have the scoop shovel in the back of my 4WD RAV4.

I am looking into possible rentals. Thanks, all.

Tom, Amtrak sounds like fun!

We are not too far from work (in Tacoma), but my BF wants to snowboard a lot and wants a car.

I don't mind using public transport. In fact, I am looking forward to using the light rail around Seattle.

I looked into taking the light rail from SeaTac to our apartment in Tacoma, but it looks to be a very long trip.