United Airlines Bans Emotional Support Puppies and Kittens

Following in the footsteps of fellow airline Delta, United Airlines has banned emotional support puppies and kittens that are under four months old. The company also said that it will be banning emotional support animals outright on its long flights that last over 8 hours.

The reason for the move is due to crew members and passengers complaining about the animals biting and soiling the cabins as well as allergies.

“We have seen increases in on-board incidents on longer flights involving these animals, many of which are unaccustomed to spending an extended amount of time in the cabin of an aircraft,” United said in a statement.

“Animals under the age of four months typically have not received the necessary vaccinations that help ensure the safety of our employees and customers,” the airline also said.

United does not charge for emotional support or service animals but does charge for in-cabin pets. Support and service animals fly free of charge and without a carrier under the 1986 Air Carrier Access Act.

Delta Airlines already made the move last month.

According to a previous ABC News report, airline trade association Airlines for America, estimated that from 2016 to 2017 the number of emotional support animals aboard U.S. commercial flights grew from 481,000 to 751,000.

Disclaimer: We have no position in United Continental Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: UAL) nor Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE: DAL) and have not been compensated for this article.