Airline Ban on Flying Small Pets Forces Elderly Owner to Give Up Guinea Pig
Most airlines won’t allow Scotty to fly in the cabin at all. And United, which would have welcomed the house-trained guinea pig, charges $200 to bring him aboard as carry-on luggage.
So that means Bessie Ciarcia, 82, and her husband are going to have to give him up, since they split the year between New Port Richey, Fla., and Massachusetts, reports the St. Petersburg Times.
Scotty, who likes to rattle his toys for attention and enjoys warm baths, can probably find a good home elsewhere. But the octogenarian is going to miss her beloved pet, the newspaper writes.
Many airlines allow owners to take cats and dogs with them in the cabin, but worry about the possibility that smaller animals could escape and be difficult to recapture. Although some animals can also be flown as baggage, this can be risky–and potentially fatal–due to possible temperature extremes, among other issues.
