Posted on 03/29/2012 8:22:45 AM PDT by US Navy Vet
The friendly skies of United Airlines have just gotten a little less friendly for some four-legged creatures.
This month, much to disappointment of some pet owners, United Airlines confirmed its adoption of the Continental Airlines PetSafe program as the merger of the two carriers became official.
The PetSafe program, which had been in place for several years under Continental, is considered the best in the airline industry and has won an Award for Excellence from the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association.
But not all are happy with United's policy that bans nine dog breeds on planes it considers dangerous. Breeds, or mixes that have reached either 6 months of age or 20 pounds that are prohibited are: Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers Presa Canario, Perro de Presa Canario, Dogo Argentino, Cane Corso, Fila Brasileiro, Tosa (or Tosa Ken) and Ca de Bou.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Nothing in the notice banning Wookies.
Who proof reads this drivel? Is it the dogs or the planes that are considered dangerous? No wonder the news media is held in such high esteem./sarc
The media is saying the airline wants to be careful about things. Wouldn't want to get bitten by one of them...
Roflol
If I were a dog I would be shouting “that’s racist.”
I don't know what the deal is with the back half of this list; but, I remember reading an article about the number of dogs that die during transport and most of the breeds were those with the pushed in nose type of skull. The thinking seemed to be that they had breathing problems once they hit altitude.
There may also be a problem with biting, perhaps some of the people handling the crates had been biten by these dogs. Don't know; but, some dogs are more predisposed to dying in flight than others and it does seem to have a connection with the construction of their snouts which affect their breathing.
I can understand not allowing dogs to fly in the passenger cabin. They already are limited by size since the dog & carrier must fit beneath the seat. Most flights also limit the number of dogs that can be booked in the cabin. But what good does it do to limit the type of dog flying in the pressurized cargo hold? A properly crated dog is perfectly safe there.
Seems like just another “overkill” regulation.
More than likely the airlines are wanting to get out of transporting dogs all-together. They start with the “dangerous breeds” because they can feign a safety issue that really doesn’t exist.
Many dogs die each year when flights get delayed and the dog crate is left on the tarmac with the other luggage in the summer heat. I know a lot of people that travel to dog shows so you hear these kinds of anecdotes every year.
With all the other delays associated with flying these days, dogs dying of heat prostration is probably getting to be a bigger problem for the airline industry.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.