Southwest Airlines limits animals onboard to cats, dogs and miniature horses

Southwest Airlines allows passengers to take miniature horses as service animals onboard (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Passengers flying on Southwest Airlines can’t take an emotional support snake, possum, rabbit or peacock onboard from next month – but they will be allowed a miniature horse as a service pet.

New guidance for flying animals released by the Dallas-based airline states that passengers will only be allowed to bring one cat or dog as an emotional support animal.

Miniature horses classed as service animals – those who are trained to support individuals with a disability – will also be allowed to fly.

The emotional support animals must be in a carrier or be on a leash at all times – to stop them from attacking other passengers. In February, an emotional support dog flying on Southwest Airlines was removed for biting a child’s face.

Passengers will need to present a letter from a doctor or licensed mental health professional before they fly.

The service cats, dogs and miniature horses must be able to “to behave in a public setting”, according to the airline

Miniature horses, like service dogs, must be fully trained. According to guidance from ADA, they must be under 86 centimetres tall and 45 kilograms heavy.

Southwest Airlines’ changes come into effect on 17 September. Steve Goldberg, senior vice president of operations and hospitality at Southwest Airlines, says that the guidelines have been put in place to provide passengers and employees with a “comfortable and safe experience”.

The airline’s ruling follows other US-based carriers, including American Airlines and JetBlue, which have restricted the use of emotional support animals.

It follows a spike in the number of unusual animals brought onboard. In January, Delta announced that it carries around 700 animals daily, or a quarter of a million a year, adding that passengers have attempted to fly with animals from comfort turkeys and gliding possums to exotic pets such as snakes or spiders.

Earlier this year a United Airlines passenger tried to board a flight to Los Angeles with an emotional support peacock called Dexter. She reportedly offered to buy the bird a ticket, but was refused because he did not meet the size and weight guidelines.