How Pet Air Transportation Evolved in the USA

Over the years, the new age lifestyle has found owners confiding their love in the furry pets and service animals. One does not need to be startled by the fact that pets are included into the family unit, and they are not to be left home alone or in the unfamiliar persons. Pets have become replacement for the kids, while plants are ascertained or transposed as pets, replacing the role of pets. In toto, the Millennial and Generation Z population has shown extreme fondness for pets and raising them in congruence to the children.

Pets who Boarded “Air Force One” – The Gargantuan Presidential Plane

The famous US Presidential Plane Air Force One had been a moving home for the pets reared by the American Presidents over the period in time. President Franklin D. Roosevelt boarded the Air Force One in 1945 with Scottish Terrier Fala. President John F. Kennedy traveled on Air Force One by the name Welsh terrier named Charlie and a poodle by the name Pushinka. Similarly, the US President Barack Obama's dogs known by the name Sunny and Bo boarded Air Force One to Massachusetts for attending the annual vacation. In the most recent years, the furry pets in the oval office to the likes of President Joe Biden had his German Shepherd dog, The Beast board the Air Force One.

The policy of pets who could board Air Force One has changed remarkably. All pets should have registration with Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and they need to pass through Metal Detector before boarding Air Force One. The expenses of pet traveling on Air Force One are borne by the Federal Government, and very often such expenses include food, supplies, apart from the medical care.

Pet Ownership and Air Traveling in the USA

Factual figures may well be surprising and startling, especially if the US is concerned. According to APPA, somewhere around 70% of American households or 90.5 million families in the US have either a service pet or a domesticated pet in the year 2022. This is a straight 14% increase from the year 1988. The statistics of 2023, show that the US tops the chart for dogs and cats as pets, with figures touching 70 million for Dog Species and likewise 74 million for different species of felines.

Fast forward today, the airlines that allow pets into the cabin belong to either the category of service animals or emotional support animals (ESAs). Service animals do not have to follow the airline weight restrictions and therefore undertake the journey with the handler or the owner irrespective of the size and the weight. On the contrary, the non-serviced animals or the ESAs should not be over 7 to 8 Kgs (with parameters changing from one airline to another), and this weight includes the weight of the carrier as well. More importantly, the ESA should fit in the carrier and its movement should be such that it can stand and even turn around conveniently. If the ESA does not fit in the carrier, then it is transferred to the cargo hold, where it will stay for the entire leg of the air journey.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the regulatory body when it comes to the transportation of pets. According to the USDA protocols, the canines, especially the dogs have to be a minimum of 12 Weeks and completely separated from their mother before they are eligible to become air borne. The reason is that the pets in general have not completed the vaccination timelines before 12 weeks.

Verdict

The changing face of society in the economically developed nations like the USA has led to the ideology where the pets are being treated with dignity as family members. They are enjoying the same rights, with freedom of enjoying the air journeys. On your next air journey, you should not experience goosebumps over the fact that the passenger seated adjacent to you in the First or the Business Class is a furry pet enjoying all in-flight amenities just like you!