Do people with animal allergies have a life-threatening medical disability similar to those with a peanut allergy? Or are pet owners entitled to keep their furry family member safely stowed under their seat?
Allergy sufferers say attacks are debilitating
An editorial in the Canadian Medical Association Journal stated that pet owners’ preferences shouldn’t take precedence over the well-being of their fellow passengers, and that pets can be accommodated comfortably and safely in airplane cargo holds where they belong.
The medical association stated that flying should not include avoidable health risks, especially, for passengers with allergies to pets, and that many people with allergies to animals will have a reaction when trapped in an enclosed space for hours.
What’s next, a ban on pet owners?
Responding to the editorial, a doctor who is also a pilot claimed that according to their logic, next they’ll be banning passengers with pet hair or dander on their clothes.
“As an academic physician and a pilot, I was outraged by this editorial,” wrote Dr. W. David Colby, Associate Professor at Western University. “The unsupported statement ‘Pets can be accommodated comfortably and safely in airplane cargo holds, which is where they belong’ got my dander up.”
Extreme temperatures in cargo holds pose a risk
The doctor summed up pet owners’ worst fears when he noted results of his Internet research that documented the deaths of hundreds of companion animals due to travel in cargo holds.
“Cargo holds are usually not heated, air conditioned or pressurized and often are unventilated in order to reduce fire hazard. People do need to sometimes travel with pets and it is wrong to send the pets to the cargo hold.”
Samson is not Samsonite
Many pet owners feel that their pet is not luggage. As a matter of fact, many airlines do not permit pug-nosed dogs or cats to travel in cargo due to respiratory concerns. Pet owners are warned not to ship their pets during weather extremes – as the animal may not survive the extreme heat or cold.
Colby also noted that most, but not all, pet allergies are due to direct contact, not proximity to pets, which can be minimized by keeping the pets in travel cages.
Minimize risk to pet traveling cargo
If you don’t have any choice and must ship Rover or Fluffy by airplane cargo, this handy guide How to Minimize Risk to a Pet in the Cargo Area of an Airplane from WikiHow lists policies and links. The U.S. Humane Society offers tips for pet travel on planes, trains, and ships.
Inform airline of allergy
Fortunately many airlines try to accommodate both the pet lover and the allergy sufferer. Air Canada, for example, informs allergy sufferers that they are, “sensitive to the concerns of allergy sufferers” and understand that some of their customers don’t want to sit near a cat or small dog during a flight.
Allergy sufferers are advised to let the check-in or gate agent know about their condition and the airline will make sure you’re not traveling next to a passenger with a pet.
Fly dog-friendly airlines
If you want to avoid the whole issue, you can check out some airlines that cater exclusively to animal lovers like Pet Airways and Companion Air.
Who’s side are you on – pet owners or allergy sufferers?