Animals

Airports deal with fire, a water main break, and the return of the dogs

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It was quite a Monday for some airports around the country. The day started out like this at Denver International Airport

Wag Brigade back at SFO

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) announced that the SFO Wag Brigade, a team of certified stress-relief animals, is back on duty in the terminals after a 20-month absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The San Francisco SPCA certifies all participating animals through their Animal Assisted Therapy (ATT) Program. And, prior to returning to SFO, all Wag Brigade animals were recertified. We hope that means LiLou the airport therapy pig that used to visit SFO about once a month will return soon too.

Fire at DFW, No Water at CLT Airport

Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) had to deal with a water main break nearby today.

And at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), there was a fire in one of the parking garages.

Let’s hope things go smoother on Tuesday.

Airports have gone to the dogs

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Thursday was National Dog Day and airports went all out to celebrate their favorite pooches.

First, let’s congratulate Alona, who works at Mccarran International Airport in Las Vegas, who is this year’s winner of the TSA’s Cutest Canine contest.

Here are some of the other working dogs at airports around the country who got some extra love and attention on National Dog Day too. All winners.

Did we miss the pups at your favorite airport? Let us know and we’ll add them to the list.

Airports bow (wow) to National Work Like a Dog Day

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AND – THIS WAY TO O’HARE

National Work Like a Dog Day isn’t officially about dogs. (It’s about not being afraid to do hard work) But airports – and the TSA – took the opportunity to show off their working dogs.

And talk about working hard when you don’t have to

Take a look at this sign pointing the way to O’Hare Airport.

Snakes, scorpions, and Qantas planes

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Courtesy Qantas

Like a lot of airlines, Qantas is storing planes in the Mojave Desert while it waits for travel to return to pre-COVID levels.

The dry heat and low humidity of the desert make the California desert a good place to store the airline’s A380 aircraft. But engineers tasked with maintaining the planes have created their own special tool to deal with rattlesnakes and scorpions that like to hang out in and around the airplane wheel well and tires.

Qantas Manager for Engineering in Los Angeles, Tim Heywood, explains in a Qantas “Roo Tale,” that engineers make regular trips from LA to Victorville, CA to do aircraft inspections and that “encounters of the slithering and rattling kind are all part of the job.”

“Every aircraft has its own designated ‘wheel whacker’ – a repurposed broom handle- as part of the engineering kit, complete with each aircraft’s registration written on it,” said Heywood. “The first thing we do before we unwrap and start any ground inspections of the landing gear, in particular, is to walk around the aircraft stomping our feet and tapping the wheels with a wheel whacker to wake up and scare off the snakes. That’s about making sure no harm comes to our engineers or the snakes.”

New rules for service and emotional support animals on airplanes now in effect

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The U.S. Department of Transportation’s new rules regarding service animals and emotional support animals on airplanes goes into effect January 11, 2021.

You can read all the details here, but here are some key points to keep in mind if you’re planning on flying on a commercial flight with a service animal, emotional support animal, or pet.

The new rules define a service animal as “a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability.”

If you are planning on flying with service dog, you will be required to submit a standardized federal form to your airline attesting to the health and training of the animal and comply with other rules.

The big change is that DOT no longer considers emotional support animals to be service animals and has given airlines permission to stop giving those animals free rides.

To no surprise, many airlines are rolling out “no emotional support animals” policies. Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue, and United Airlines have already posted policies or issued statements stating that emotional support animals, be they pigs, dogs, birds, or possums, will no longer be allowed on flights after January 11. We expect other airlines to follow suit.

Pets still good to go. For a fee

Of course, airlines are happy to take pets on flights if they meet the requirements and have a paid ticket. Here are the current fees for buying a ticket for a pet to fly in the cabin on a domestic flight.

Alaska Airlines: $100 each way in the cabin; Pets allowed in the passenger cabin are dogs, cats, rabbits, and household birds.

American Airlines: $125 each way.

Delta Air Lines: $125 each way. Pets allowed: small dogs, cats, and household birds.

Frontier: $99 each way. Pets allowed: dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, and small household birds.

Hawaiian Airlines: $35 within Hawaii; $125 between Hawaii and mainland. Pets allowed: cats and dogs.

JetBlue: $125 each way.

Southwest: $95 each way. Pets allowed: small cats and dogs.

United Airlines: $125. Pets allowed: cats and dogs.

Temple cats – 19th to early 20th century