Many airline passengers cringe when they hear crying babies on board, but how about a gobbling turkey?
That really happened aboard a recent Delta flight.
The passenger provided papers, proving the turkey was indeed their Emotional Support Animal, so Delta let the bird on board, and even gave it its own seat.
Reddit user biggestlittlepickle posted the picture, stating that his neighbor, a flight attendant, took this snapshot of the poultry on a plane.
It even appears to be smiling.
That picture received more than 1,700 comments, including one from Reddit user unclelimpy, who is friends with the pilot, who captured his own turkey photo.
It shows the turkey receiving VIP treatment as its rolled through the airport on a wheelchair.
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Many passengers bring their service animals on flights to help calm their fear of flying.
Delta does have some regulations regarding which animals it will not allow on board.
The airline’s policies state the animal has to behave in a tame manner and must smell clean.
Delta, along with many other U.S.-based carriers, directly prohibits unusual service animals, such as snakes and other reptiles, ferrets, rodents, and spiders, as written in the federal guidelines of The Air Carrier Access Act.
That act states that, as long as those flights remain in U.S. territories, with the proper paperwork, even exotic animals like monkeys, miniature horses, and pigs are allowed, as long as they are not too heavy and do not block the aisles or sit in the emergency exits.
On flights longer than 8 hours, service animal owners must provide written confirmation that their pet will not relieve itself during the flight, or will do so in a way that will not “create a health or sanitation issue on the flight.”
Otherwise, they must ride in the cargo hold.
Case in point, CNN reported that an 80-pound pig was kicked off of a US Airways flight for “howling” and pooping in the aisle before the plane took off.
According to Road Warrior Voices, registering almost any kind of pet as an Emotional Support Animal is as simple as a single paid consultation with a mental health professional.
Then those service animals fly for free, and in the cabin, putting truth to the saying “when pigs fly.”