Canadian airlines’ rules on comfort animals range from dogs to miniature horses
Miniature horses, monkeys and pigs can legally fly as emotional support animals on at least one Canadian airline but an advocate for travellers says the vast majority of jet-setting comfort animals are far less exotic and are a truly necessary accommodation for people with disabilities.
Unusual animal encounters at the airport have been making headlines in recent weeks.
United Airlines turned away a passenger who tried to board a flight with an emotional support peacock last month, and a Florida woman claimed last week that an airline employee told her to flush her dwarf hamster down a toilet after refusing to let the pet on the plane.
Passenger rights activist Gabor Lukacs, who has waged numerous legal battles against Canadian airlines, said the attention paid to these sensational cases undermines the rights of people with disabilities who need emotional support animals to fly comfortably.