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To: Gary S. Gevisser
Subject: Animals in the cabin
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Flight Attendant to Horse: Cuddles Caused a Bit of Stir in 1st Class, Air travel can be a messy business, especially if you are flying with a horse. Take the following excerpt from an American Airlines passenger record last week: "PAX WAS TRAVELING WITH A MINIATURE SERVICE HORSE IN SEAT 3A. HORSE HAD A BOWEL MOVEMENT ON THE CARPET OF THE BULKHEAD. CABIN SVC HAD TO DO EXCESSIVE CLEANING IN ORDER FOR AIRCRAFT TO LEAVE FOR THE NEXT FLIGHT. STRONG ODOR ALSO HAD TO BE AIRED OUT.…ORD CSM JP INCUSCI" It seems the passenger -- "PAX" in airline shorthand
-- was flying from The show, which was scheduled to air Tuesday, was appropriately titled "That's Incredible!" The things airlines end up transporting often are a slice of
the lives people lead. On the inanimate side, foreign visitors often turn up
trying to check washing machines and television sets purchased on Animals usually make for more interesting stories. Movie stars
want first-class seats for their pets, and such arrangements have to be
approved in advance. Airlines keep track of unruly Just recently, the U.S. Department of Transportation clarified rules that had been applied mostly to dogs so as to include "service animals," saying airlines could be forced to accommodate all manner of beasts if mental-health professionals declare that they are necessary for relieving stress and flying anxiety. If a monkey is necessary to help a passenger get through a flight, the DOT said, then the monkey can come along. "Animals that assist persons with disabilities by providing emotional support qualify as service animals," the DOT said, noting that "service animals also perform a much wider variety of functions than ever before." The rules, published May 9, update guidelines issued by the DOT in 1996 that dealt mostly with dogs assisting passengers who can't see or hear. The new rules more specifically define what a service animal is and who can have one. They also spell out what steps airlines need to take, such as determining whether the animal poses a health or safety threat to others, or would disrupt cabin service, and when animals can legally be "refused carriage in the cabin." The new guidelines benefited from the suggestions of advocates for the disabled, as well as from recommendations by the airlines, the DOT said. Mr. Shaw depends on his horse. He told Ms. Winfrey that he feared getting attached to a guide dog with a relatively short life span. Cuddles, he said, has a lifespan of more than 30 years. "I think the most incredible thing Cuddles has done for me is she made me realize that being blind ain't so bad," he said on the show. "She's the best friend I've ever had. It's like having a new life." Mr. Shaw's even devoted a Web site1 to her. Nearly three years ago, a pot-bellied pig flew
in the first-class cabin of a US Airways flight from In the case of the miniature horse, American had no doubt that
the animal was indeed a "service horse," and the airline had been
assured that it was housebroken. There had been talk among airline officials
about whether the horse should be diapered. But since the Then the flight was delayed by FAA air-traffic control for 45
minutes on the ground in Before allowing Cuddles on the return flight, American quizzed flight attendants who were on the earlier flight, and learned that the mess hadn't been all that bad, and most of it had been cleaned up by Mr. Shaw himself. The cleaning crew may have overreacted a bit. The airline also wondered whether other first-class passengers were upset about sharing the forward cabin with a small horse. No, flight attendants said, the other passengers were amused by the whole thing. So headquarters decided to put Cuddles back in first class for the flight home on Tuesday last week "due to extenuating circumstances of ATC on the outbound," according to the passenger record. Mr. Shaw, who lives in
A spokeswoman for Harpo Productions Inc., which produces "Oprah," said the show ponied up to buy two first-class seats for the horse and owner. Since the horse can't really curl up like a dog, even with "More Room in Coach," it wouldn't fit in the coach cabin without blocking the aisle, a spokesman for American noted. Instead, Cuddles was able to stretch out at the forward bulkhead in the first-class cabin. A bigger question: How did the horse get through security
screening in The Transportation Security Administration said it had no
reports of any incidents at The good news for American is that it didn't have to take the plane out of service, or replace carpet, or incur extra expenses. This incident was far less costly than one several years ago when a pit bull ate through its cage and got loose in the cargo hold, forcing an unscheduled landing. And it was certainly less costly than the 1995 case of
Marcelle Becker, a Through her spokesman, Mrs. Becker declined to comment.
"She would definitely support the horse," Write to Scott McCartney at scott.mccartney@wsj.com2
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![[Dan Shaw, who is legally blind, with Cuddles, his guide horse, during a guest appearance on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show.']](http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/images/horse05212003125143.jpg)
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