Ban pets from flights, doctors tell airlines

[Ryan Coke]

Originally Posted by GreenTeaFrapp

You do know that an airplane is airtight, right?

You know your wrong, right?

There is a lot of airflow, far more than just sitting in a building. And the recycled air is to help humidify the otherwise extremely dry engine bleed air. So putting fifi in the back, and mr paranoid allergic in the front will keep any allergens away from you.

So mr allergic is happy, pet and owner are happy, and of course evil airline is happy because they get to scrape out a bit of profit.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

1. I'd bet most of you people who are bitching and moaning and wanting animals off flights are NOT animal owners yourself......

2. So... Yes I have a dog. I may have a rat of a dog, but it is my pet. She is a part of my family. My animals safety, should I need to travel with her, far far far outweighs my care of you allergy people having a sniffle or two.....

edit: I also have friends with severe allergies, and they make sure to take a pill, even though they've never had a reaction to my dog. It's a hassle, but that's all part of life.

1. Yes, I do have a dog. I love her dearly and she enriches my life. I also realize she is an animal, not a human being.

2. Here is a novel idea. How about you give your doggie a pill so they can cope with travelling in the cargo area?

[Russic]

What is the need for them to be in the cabin (service animals excluded)? Is it that the animal is afraid of the cargo hold? Perhaps the owner thinks it'll be afraid of the cargo hold? Seems like wimpification to me... pets have travelled in cargo for a long time and they seem to do petty well. Before you pile on me for seeming insensitive, yes I have a dog and I'd gladly put him down there.

[Ryan Coke]

It is harder on the animal, and there are additional risks traveling in cargo.

[driveway]

Obviously, the solution is to pit the pet against the allergy sufferer in the Thunderdome. Whoever lives gets to fly.

Yet another problem solved by the Thunderdome.

[Finner]

I see both sides of the argument.

Animals are not people, and people should be able to ride in plane without being subjected to severe allergic attacks.

By the same token however, sticking your pet under a plane, where temperatures can vary to the extreme, animals can have trouble breathing, it is extremely noisy, and the pet is left under huge stress without its owner is also undesirable. Although there aren't tons of numbers on this, its estimated up to 1% of animals travelling in baggage either die or are injured.

I think ideally airlines on busy routes would have designated no animal planes, or if that isn't possible, try and compartmentalize the people with pets to certain areas of the plane.

Also all i can say as a pet owner is that i would never subject any of my pets to baggage. I'll probably never ever fly with them, but if i did i would never put them in baggage, and if that wasn't possible i wouldn't go. Although pets are not people, the fear they go through is no different than someone tearing a 2/3 year old away from its family and dumping it in a hot/cold extremely noisy compartment.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by GreenTeaFrapp

You do know that an airplane is airtight, right?

Originally Posted by Dion

Airplanes recycle the air you breathe. Once the dander is in the air it gets recycled to all parts of the plane.

Firstly, aircraft are not airtight and I suggest that you go smack whoever told you this rubbish. Secondly, both of you guys missed the point entirely.

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Why are we arguing rare situations? The person with allergies can be moved around the plane so they are far from a service dog. How often do you even see a service dog in public let alone on a flight?

Then I suggest...

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

So move the person with allergies to another seat and let someone's pet dog sit up front with its owner. Problem solved and the dog doesn't need to go into the cargo area.

... which in turn gets this response:

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

I figured this was the angle you were vying for. Unfortunately your dog shouldnt be afforded the same rights as a service animal. Besides, why do we discriminate against larger dogs that can't fit under the seat, instead we allow the rodents in the cabin since they're small.

So dogs carry allergens and thus for the comfort of passengers with pet allergies, they must go in the cargo hold. Unless, however, that dog is a service dog. Same allergens and all that, but now we're willing to inconvenience passengers with allergens for someone else's comfort. Then are people allowed to have their dogs on the plane only if a service dog is already scheduled to fly on that aircraft?

This is basically the idea:
Service dog = Fukka you, dolphin! Sneezy, we'll move you elsewhere on the aircraft.
Family dog = That dog will have to go into cargo - Sneezy over here has allergies. No, we can't just move Sneezy, pet dander will carry throughout the cabin! What a stupid idea.

I'm playing Devil's advocate here - I myself don't own a dog at the moment, but you have to see where I'm going with this. You inconvenience passengers traveling with dogs to appease allergy sufferers, then inconvenience allergy sufferers to accomodate those with service dogs, but still inconvenience those with pets anyway.

If you want to talk about 'rare' situations, burn_this_city, how often do people fly with dogs in the cabin? How often do service dogs show up? Either allow dogs on the whole or don't - the occurance of either happening is low to begin with and a member of the flight crew or airport staff will have no problems assisting whomever needs to go pick up their service dog from the Oversize cargo pickup ... I mean, they're going to need to be told where it is anyway.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Ryan Coke

It is harder on the animal, and there are additional risks traveling in cargo.

What risks? Harder on the animal based on what evidence?

[opendoor]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

So dogs carry allergens and thus for the comfort of passengers with pet allergies, they must go in the cargo hold. Unless, however, that dog is a service dog. Same allergens and all that, but now we're willing to inconvenience passengers with allergens for someone else's comfort. Then are people allowed to have their dogs on the plane only if a service dog is already scheduled to fly on that aircraft?

Service dogs aren't there merely for the convenience of their owners; often they're a vitally important part of them living a normal life. You seriously can't see the difference between someone with a seizure alert dog needing their animal by their side and some person who doesn't feel like putting their pet into cargo?

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by opendoor

Service dogs aren't there merely for the convenience of their owners; often they're a vitally important part of them living a normal life. You seriously can't see the difference between someone with a seizure alert dog needing their animal by their side and some person who doesn't feel like putting their pet into cargo?

Agreed, I find it somewhat pathetic that someone would argue against that, because they feel entitled to have their dog in the cabin also.

[nickerjones]

Originally Posted by Wormius

What risks? Harder on the animal based on what evidence?

Based on the fact that the dog is not the bag handler's dog. They are probably going to treat my dog with the same care and respect as they treat my luggage. I fly to Calgary every Christmas and one of my bags will be misplaced or not arrive on time every stinking year. Why would I want to subject my dog to that?

My wife takes my little puggle on the flight every year and has never heard a complaint. She takes a small doggy sedative and sleeps the whole trip. The pup just loves Calgary as much as I do. The first thing she does when she gets to my mother in law's house is head to the backyard and run laps in the snow.

[Kybosh]

Regular dogs should not fly unless you're on a one way trip. Dogs don't need vacations and flying is a stressful event for them in the cabin or in cargo. Leave them at a kennel at home or with friends/relatives. The dog doesn't need to come with you.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by opendoor

Service dogs aren't there merely for the convenience of their owners; often they're a vitally important part of them living a normal life. You seriously can't see the difference between someone with a seizure alert dog needing their animal by their side and some person who doesn't feel like putting their pet into cargo?

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Agreed, I find it somewhat pathetic that someone would argue against that, because they feel entitled to have their dog in the cabin also.

Glad I'm not arguing for that reason then - my official position on this is to put pets and small children in the cargo area. However, your initial response to "move the person with allergies away from the service dog" is a complete crock if that same solution cannot be applied to the same sentence without the word "service" in it. I mean, if it's as easy as moving the person and the dog as far away from each other as possible within the same cabin, then why not?

Of course I can see the difference between a service dog and 'random family dog'. What I do not understand is how a solution that works for one dog does not apparently work for the other dog.

[Boblobla]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

Glad I'm not arguing for that reason then - my official position on this is to put pets and small children in the cargo area. However, your initial response to "move the person with allergies away from the service dog" is a complete crock if that same solution cannot be applied to the same sentence without the word "service" in it. I mean, if it's as easy as moving the person and the dog as far away from each other as possible within the same cabin, then why not?

Of course I can see the difference between a service dog and 'random family dog'. What I do not understand is how a solution that works for one dog does not apparently work for the other dog.

One is a necessity the other a luxury.

[troutman]

Fido does not need to go to Halifax. Send him to the kennel.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Ryan Coke

It is harder on the animal, and there are additional risks traveling in cargo.

What are the additional risks? (I throw this question to any of our pilots/ air crew people on here.)

Once again- I'm not challenging you; I am curious about how things work on jet plane.

[Boblobla]

Originally Posted by fotze

Is this really a big problem? I've never seen or heard a dog/pet in the cabin. On problems as completely and ridiculously minor as these, its embarassing doctors are wasting their time with this.

and no it is not serious for some people, so don't bother typing it.

I have seen it several times recently.

On the last flight I was in there were actually 3 dogs in little cloth kennel carryon thingies.

[Boblobla]

Originally Posted by ken0042

What are the additional risks? (I throw this question to any of our pilots/ air crew people on here.)

Once again- I'm not challenging you; I am curious about how things work on jet plane.

I know how one thing works on a jet plane, I know for sure you leave on them when you have an uncertain return timeframe.

[Jordan!]

My GF is deathly allergic to cats.. I see this as a very good point. But as a former pet owner. That would be tough to have people put their pets in cargo.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Originally Posted by nickerjones

Based on the fact that the dog is not the bag handler's dog. They are probably going to treat my dog with the same care and respect as they treat my luggage.

And you would assume this why? Have you ever talked to a baggage handler who stated that they treat animals like they do inanimate suitcases?

I fly to Calgary every Christmas and one of my bags will be misplaced or not arrive on time every stinking year. Why would I want to subject my dog to that?

You must really annoy someone at the luggage counter to have that happen to you. I've flown to Alberta close to 20 times and never had that happen to me.