'Emotional support' pig kicked off flight for being disruptive

[spinbaby]

A story that's equal parts sad and funny. Woman tries to board plane with 70–80-lb. pig, which craps in the aisle. Gets kicked off the flight. How she ever got as far as boarding is beyond me because I'm pretty sure that animals are supposed to be crated.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/11/30/travel/emotional-support-pig-booted-flight/index.html

[mainer]

1. This happened years ago on a Delta flight too, I think

Except that pig was rumored to be well over 100 pounds and had a panic attack during the flight.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

2. "...that pig was rumored to be well over 100 pounds and had a panic attack during the flight."

Sounds like it needed an emotional support human.

[boston bean]

3. oink oink

[mainer]

4. Here's the article about the earlier incident. It was American, not Delta.

The pig, described as "enormous, brown, angry and honking" was allowed on to the six-hour flight from Philadelphia to Seattle after its owners, a woman in her thirties and one in her sixties, told airline officials that it was as crucial to them as a guide dog. US Airways and the Federal Aviation Authority stipulate that passengers may fly with "service animals" such as guide dogs.

The pig was walked on to the aircraft where it was given three seats in first class, near its owners who had paid the fare. Despite attempts to strap in the animal, it became restless after take off and began sauntering through the first class cabin. "He kept rubbing his nose on people's legs trying to get them to give him food and stroke him," said one passenger.

As the flight landed in Seattle the pig panicked, running up and down through economy class squealing. At one point the animal attempted to enter the cockpit, charging the door. It took four cabin attendants to remove the pig from the aircraft, but once inside the terminal it escaped. It was re-captured after being pushed into a lift.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/1372494/Pigs-might-fly-.-.-.-but-never-again-on-American-airline.html

[spinbaby]

7. That was an older incident

And it looked like a really entertaining flight.

I think that if people are going to have service animals, even if they are "emotional support" animals, the animal in question has to be trained to behave itself. Once I saw a little vest-wearing doggie sitting on a restaurant table eating off its owner's plate.

[mainer]

8. Yes, just corrected the title of my post

I remembered the incident because of the poor pig's panic attack!

[boston bean]

5. That piggy needs to learn how to behave...

[boston bean]

6. here's the piggiest pig of them all on a plane

I dare anyone to say the pig on the plane in the OP was worse than this:

[Nye Bevan]

9. Bacon does tend to improve my emotional state (nt)

[spinbaby]

10. OMG, Jon Stewart!

I'm just now catching up on last night's Daily Show--Jon Stewart covered the pig. Too funny!

[FSogol]

11. When Geico commercials go horribly wrong....