Tengrinews.kz - A passenger who took a huge Great Dane on board a plane as "emotional support" became a social media star after a video of the flight attendant's surprised reaction went viral, according to the Daily Mail.
Video posted on Instagram shows the massive dog filling up the small plane's two-row cabin. The author of the video captioned the post ironically: "Society: Hold my beer," implying that the boundaries of what is acceptable for companion animals have become blurred.
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Another video shows the Great Dane given his own seat, with his muzzle jutting out over the backs of the seats in the back of the plane.
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The unusual passenger has caused a mixed reaction online. Some users wrote that they would like to be in his neighbor's place, while others found it unacceptable.
"That should have gone in cargo," one commenter wrote.
At the same time, another user jokingly noted:
"'d be praying they were coming to sit next to me! Lol."
The incident comes amid changes to aviation regulations introduced by the U.S. Department of Transportation last year. The new regulations tightened requirements for animals that passengers try to bring in as "emotional support." Now, for such cases, forms must be submitted in advance confirming the preparation of the pet. This was a response to cases where peacocks, pigs, miniature horses and even turkeys were tried on board.
However, the tightening of the rules has caused controversy, especially among people with disabilities who genuinely need trained service animals. For example, Elizabeth Schoen, a 21-year-old blind woman, told the media that her guide dog was denied boarding a flight to Boston due to problems with the paperwork.
"If you're denying my dog, you're denying me," she said.
As a result, Schoen had to spend an additional $400 to get another flight.
