are dogs allowed to walk around in airports?
 

As the topic states, are dogs allowed to be outside of their kennel/carrier inside of airports (leashed of course)? I checked a few airport websites and couldn't find a clean answer. I very often see dogs walking around leashed with their owners in the airports, but I also recall an incident in an airport where the airport staff told somebody their dog must be inside the kennel/carrier at all times.

Does anyone know an answer to this?

It really depends on the rules of the airport and whether those rules are enforced. When I flew with my Yorkie through STL and LAS, he was rarely in his carrier. In LAS, he walked on leash even on the tram to the D gates and I would carry him in the fast food restaurants (I always asked and never took him into a restaurant) and was never questioned. STL was never a problem. EWR was always a problem. I had some air crew literally yell at me and another couple with a dog on leash to put the dogs in the carriers. They weren't just enforcing rules (what exactly does air crew have to do with airport regulations?), they were extremely nasty about it. I always sat with him on leash in a waiting area away from people and no one said anything about that and most people were just wanting to pet him.

I checked the website http://www.ifly.com which lists all major airports and it appears that all the airports I checked required pets in carriers so it really depends on the enforcement.

Of course, none of these rules applies to service dogs.

Right, it seems like almost every airport carrys the "pets must be in carrier at all times" rule, but don't enforce it. They just have it in case they want to enforce it on certain dogs/peope.

Thanks for the web site. I always travel with my dog and this site will make it easier.

There are also different rules for emotional support and service animals. They tend to have much more leeway. You may need to check with your carrier and also the local airport regulations.

Don't even bother trying at LAX terminal 4 (AA) for departures, but they don't care what you do once you hit baggage claim.

JFK terminal 8 (AA) not only lets dogs on leashes everywhere, but employees tend to come over and say hi.

My BF brings our dog to the arrivals area when I come home every week at EWR and never had a problem. I dress up our Frenchie in a Santa outfit and waited by baggage claim over the holidays without a problem.

Pets in the airport
 

If it says 'Pets must be in carriers" where is the gray area here?
As a pet owner and someone who is in the airport weekly, I don't get how people think it's ok to walk their dog around (service animals not included in this diatribe).
It's not.
Thank goodness someone said something to jennj99738.
Why are they being rude when they tell you to crate your pet when it boldly states that at every entrance to EVERY major airport?
There's a time and a place for pets.
Airports and airplanes are not one of them.
Some of the responses speak of enforcement and a willingness to not adhere to the rules. How about everybody who wants to smoke in the terminal, go ahead and light one up!

Your poor pet
 

Some of the responses speak of enforcement and a willingness to not adhere to the rules. How about everybody who wants to smoke in the terminal, go ahead and light one up![/QUOTE]

1. Phoenix sky harbor allows for pets to not be in a carrier.

Dog allergy can be fatal, and far more quickly than secondhand smoke. My son's cousin had an allergic reaction to a dog, and was dead before the paramedics got there. My son has the same severe allergy and avoiding dogs in public places can be extremely difficult. Keeping a dog in carrier in public places at least reduces the amount of dander and saliva being spread.

Does anybody know what the rule is in the SLT airport?

Would suggest you also need to check facts. Agree that allergies can be deadly (why you son should carry an epipen). But there is not data that it is better in a carrier

Not sure why you felt the need to revive this very old thread, but since you did, I'll point out that you're wrong. The carrier does make a difference. A dog in a carrier is not the furniture spreading fur, dander and saliva, which can trigger allergic reactions in my kid. I've seen it happen, you're just speculating.

And as you're not my son's doctor, please refrain from offering us unsolicited medical advice.

As there is no "in" the SLT 'airport', there are no rules ;) SLT is a tiny general aviation "airport" in the Colorado mountains with very limited (open-air) facilites and no staff to enforce anything. Off-leash is fine there ;)

If you mean SLC, dogs can be outside of carriers but have to be kept on a leash inside the terminal.

Admittedly this is an old thread (1/12/09), but is there a web comparable to the one mentioned above that speaks to practical considerations for domestic USA flying with a small dog?