Who says commercial planes could only accommodate the most well-groomed of poodles or the cutest of Chihuahuas to fly with their owners on board? Now miniature horses could fly, too!
The US Department of Transportation has now made public a new set of guidelines that allow disabled people to enjoy air travel with their pets, now quoted as “service animals”, as long as these provide them with psychological support.
So long as these pets are listed in the record of animals allowed inside the commercial aircraft, disabled people could get all the emotional support they need provided that their travel companions are proven to really help them and that these have received enough training.
The TravelMail Reporter of Daily Mail UK accounts the conditions integrated with this newly-passed, odd air travel rule (“When Pigs Fly: Porcine Passengers and Exotic Pets could be Allowed on Flights”). He learned that there are still quite strict rules for this guideline because if the airport crew doubts that the pet is really a service animal, the owner still needs to present additional verification evidences.
Here’s a quick excerpt from his recent article:
Not all animals that could help humans are allowed in the cabin, including ferrets, rodents, spiders and snakes… But miniature horses - considered a financially viable alternative to dogs due to their long lifespan - and monkeys are also 'commonly used service animals' and are allowed inside, the manual states.
Read the rest of his fascinating news article, and learn how this new rule makes it a lot easier for disabled passengers to travel by air.
