While getting ready to leave for a vacation, one experiences many jitters. One of the very scary ones is the thought of leaving your pet back home. Separation anxiety for one’s pet is one of the most common problems that avid travelers have.

Well, not in London.

Pot-bellied pigs, miniature horses and monkeys could be allowed to travel with you on planes under new British transport rules.

The guidelines are part of a draft manual on equality for disabled people travelling on commercial passenger planes. The need for the manual was felt when transportation officers started complaining about
disabled people and the emotional upheaval that is caused to them when they can’t travel with their service animals.

 

The new London manual throws light on how pot-bellied pigs can grow as large as 300 pounds and can be trained to open and close doors and use litter boxes. The manual goes on to say that the officers would have to determine whether the animal is permitted on the plane by running through a list of guidelines. The first is to check whether the animal in question is used for “emotional support” by their owners. Secondly if the officer has a reasonable basis for questioning whether the animal is indeed a service animal, he may ask for some verification. Finally, if the officer determines that the pot-bellied pig is a service animal, he must permit the service animal to accompany the passenger to her seat provided the animal does not obstruct the aisle or present any safety issues.

Though the guidelines seem a bit severe, the news has been received
very well by the disabled community who has called it a belated but
welcome effort by the government.