Westjet lost this woman's gecko...

[Magpie]

http://globalnews.ca/news/2848375/b-c-womans-pet-gecko-goes-missing-during-westjet-flight/

And here's the original thread she started on Reddit, which I've been watching for awhile now, hoping for a happy resolution (but since it's been 48 hours now, and the poor critter hasn't had any food or water, I doubt it):

https://www.reddit.com/r/canada/comments/4uoxsy/westjet_lost_my_pet_please_help_me_get_her_back/

I feel horrible for her, and I absolutely agree - if Westjet allows cats, birds, rabbits and dogs to travel in the cabin, then they should definitely allow other small animals to travel, too.

Update: The gecko was found alive, after several days in the luggage.

 

[sonnyjane]

http://globalnews.ca/news/2848375/b-c-womans-pet-gecko-goes-missing-during-westjet-flight/

And here's the original thread she started on Reddit, which I've been watching for awhile now, hoping for a happy resolution (but since it's been 48 hours now, and the poor critter hasn't had any food or water, I doubt it):

https://www.reddit.com/r/canada/comments/4uoxsy/westjet_lost_my_pet_please_help_me_get_her_back/

I feel horrible for her, and I absolutely agree - if Westjet allows cats, birds, rabbits and dogs to travel in the cabin, then they should definitely allow other small animals to travel, too.

I agree that if they allow other types of animals, where do they draw the line as to what can and can't be accommodated. THAT being said, when you fly with animals in the cabin, you have to let the airline know that AHEAD of time and you PAY for those animals to ride, and they have limits to how many animals can be on the flight at the same time (and it's a small number). You can't just show up with an animal and expect that they let you on.

 

[Magpie]

I agree that if they allow other types of animals, where do they draw the line as to what can and can't be accommodated. THAT being said, when you fly with animals in the cabin, you have to let the airline know that AHEAD of time and you PAY for those animals to ride, and they have limits to how many animals can be on the flight at the same time (and it's a small number). You can't just show up with an animal and expect that they let you on.

She didn't just show up with the gecko in tow. She called Westjet beforehand, and asked what her options were. They informed her that the only animals allowed in the cabin were dogs, cats, rabbits and birds. All other animals had to travel cargo. She followed their instructions and labeled the box properly.

In other words, the only foolish thing she did was trust them.

Personally, I think they should determine the animals allowed by size, not species. A five inch long gecko is a LOT easier to accommodate (and a lot less likely to cause problems for people with allergies, phobias, etc) than a 70 lb dog.

 

[sonnyjane]

She didn't just show up with the gecko in tow. She called Westjet beforehand, and asked what her options were. They informed her that the only animals allowed in the cabin were dogs, cats, rabbits and birds. All other animals had to travel cargo. She followed their instructions and labeled the box properly.

In other words, the only foolish thing she did was trust them.

Personally, I think they should determine the animals allowed by size, not species. A five inch long gecko is a LOT easier to accommodate (and a lot less likely to cause problems for people with allergies, phobias, etc) than a 70 lb dog.

Oh, that wasn't clear in the article you posted. It just said "Bishop says she was told by WestJet that Nom could not travel in the cabin with her in a small box". It didn't say when she received that information.

 

[Magpie]

Oh, that wasn't clear in the article you posted. It just said "Bishop says she was told by WestJet that Nom could not travel in the cabin with her in a small box". It didn't say when she received that information.

That's why I included her Reddit post, it has a lot more info. If you're interested in even more, this is her user profile with all of her recent posts: https://www.reddit.com/user/whyisthissoshor

 

[Clifton Tesh]

And here's the original thread she started on Reddit, which I've been watching for awhile now, hoping for a happy resolution (but since it's been 48 hours now, and the poor critter hasn't had any food or water, I doubt it)

The silver lining:
Geckos can go a whIle without food or water.

Around 2-4 weeks without water
And usually 4-6 weeks without food

Hopefully they find the little guy. I love lizards and snakes

 

[Magpie]

The silver lining:
Geckos can go a whIle without food or water.

Around 2-4 weeks without water
And usually 4-6 weeks without food

Hopefully they find the little guy. I love lizards and snakes

Oh, that's really good to know!

I'll keep my fingers crossed, and keep checking for updates.

 

[bcla]

The silver lining:
Geckos can go a whIle without food or water.

Around 2-4 weeks without water
And usually 4-6 weeks without food

Hopefully they find the little guy. I love lizards and snakes

But what about temperature and humidity? I'm pretty sure it doesn't have a heat source and may not have needed one for the trip.

 

[Magpie]

But what about temperature and humidity? I'm pretty sure it doesn't have a heat source and may not have needed one for the trip.

From what the owner was posting on Reddit, the main concern is that the gecko will get too hot and dry in her box, especially once the damp towel that was in with her dries out.

 

[manning]

Not lost. Just out selling insurance.

 

[wilkeliza]

At least she tried to follow the rules. I use to sell crickets to a kid whole snuck his gecko on flights since he has to fly between his divorced parents home every weekend. His mom told me the gecko did something like 30 round trips!

 

[Magpie]

At least she tried to follow the rules. I use to sell crickets to a kid whole snuck his gecko on flights since he has to fly between his divorced parents home every weekend. His mom told me the gecko did something like 30 round trips!

I wouldn't blame her if, in the future, that was an option she'd consider!

She wrote that she'd never traveled by plane before, and didn't know what security would be like, so she was trying to follow all the rules.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

It's probably a reptile thing. If they allow one type of reptile, where do they draw the line? Most people probably wouldn't care about a gecko being in the cabin. We certainly wouldn't. On the other hand, many people are afraid of snakes. I'd throw away any amount of money, before I'd load a plane with a snake on it. Then there's always the people who would think they should be able to bring poisonous snakes in the cabin, if non poisonous snakes were allowed. It's easier to not allow any reptiles.

 

[Magpie]

It's probably a reptile thing. If they allow one type of reptile, where do they draw the line? Most people probably wouldn't care about a gecko being in the cabin. We certainly wouldn't. On the other hand, many people are afraid of snakes. I'd throw away any amount of money, before I'd load a plane with a snake on it. Then there's always the people who would think they should be able to bring poisonous snakes in the cabin, if non poisonous snakes were allowed. It's easier to not allow any reptiles.

On the other hand, there are plenty of people who feel just as strongly about dogs, and yet Westjet allows dogs on board.

I would think it's easier to simply say the animal must be securely packaged. If it was, you wouldn't even know there was a snake on board, and you'd be a lot safer from that snake than you'd be if the dog sitting next to you suddenly decided to get all bite-y.

(Cue "Snakes on a Plane" joke.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

On the other hand, there are plenty of people who feel just as strongly about dogs, and yet Westjet allows dogs on board.

I would think it's easier to simply say the animal must be securely packaged. If it was, you wouldn't even know there was a snake on board, and you'd be a lot safer from that snake than you'd be if the dog sitting next to you suddenly decided to get all bite-y.

(Cue "Snakes on a Plane" joke.

I personally don't care if they allow dogs or not, but I don't think a rabid or extremely aggresive dog would ever make it past the gate. A healthy, non-aggressive dog won't kill anyone that doesn't have a severe allergy to them. If alerted to the allergy, the airline would take action to secure the safety of the passenger. A poisonous or large snake could kill anyone.

 

[Magpie]

I personally don't care if they allow dogs or not, but I don't think a rabid or extremely aggresive dog would ever make it past the gate. A healthy, non-aggressive dog won't kill anyone that doesn't have a severe allergy to them. If alerted to the allergy, the airline would take action to secure the safety of the passenger. A poisonous or large snake could kill anyone.

Every dog owner says their dog is a sweetheart who would never bite. And yet, some do. Even a perfectly healthy, non-aggressive dog might find the stresses of air travel to be too much. (For the record, I have a dog myself that I love very much.)

It's easy to say, "No poisonous animals." That would cover poisonous frogs, lizards, snakes, platypuses, spiders and anything else that has venom. You can also say, "No animals over (however many) pounds." Which would also rule out exceedingly large dogs who could do serious damage to a person. It's also pretty easy to set a clear standard for how small animals should be secured for travel. Heck, the airline themselves could sell the boxes and make some money off of people with small pets (like hamsters and geckos).

A small, non-poisonous snake, secured in a box, is no threat to anyone. This isn't a slippery slope to reptilian anarchy in the skies.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Every dog owner says their dog is a sweetheart who would never bite. And yet, some do. Even a perfectly healthy, non-aggressive dog might find the stresses of air travel to be too much. (For the record, I have a dog myself that I love very much.)

It's easy to say, "No poisonous animals." That would cover poisonous frogs, lizards, snakes, platypuses, spiders and anything else that has venom. You can also say, "No animals over (however many) pounds." Which would also rule out exceedingly large dogs who could do serious damage to a person. It's also pretty easy to set a clear standard for how small animals should be secured for travel. Heck, the airline themselves could sell the boxes and make some money off of people with small pets (like hamsters and geckos).

A small, non-poisonous snake, secured in a box, is no threat to anyone. This isn't a slippery slope to reptilian anarchy in the skies.

I can't believe you're even trying to make the argument that a snake on a plane is the same as a dog or cat. There has never been a debater good enough to convince they're the same. There's a reason the movie you referenced was about snakes on a plane not dogs or cats.

FWIW, I don't have a dog, I don't even like cats & I already said I wouldn't have a problem with a gecko in the cabin. The snake argument is ludicrous to me though.

 

[DizBelle]

..... This isn't a slippery slope to reptilian anarchy in the skies.

Love it!

 

[DizBelle]

I would think that, especially, any non-poisonous, non-stinky animal that can fit in a box/carrier that can fit under the airplane seat should be allowed on the plane.

This gecko weighed 30 grams. That's just a hair over 1 ounce. That's about 1/16 of the mass of a bottle of water that you buy at the store before you get on the plane. It was just silly to not allow the little guy on the plane.

 

[Magpie]

I can't believe you're even trying to make the argument that a snake on a plane is the same as a dog or cat. There has never been a debater good enough to convince they're the same. There's a reason the movie you referenced was about snakes on a plane not dogs or cats.

FWIW, I don't have a dog, I don't even like cats & I already said I wouldn't have a problem with a gecko in the cabin. The snake argument is ludicrous to me though.

What's ludicrous, in my opinion, is the irrational prejudice some people hold against any critter that doesn't have fur.

There's no rational reason to be more scared of this (whether it contains a hermit crab, a gecko, a pet spider or a non-venomous snake):

Than you are of this:

(So cute!)

I just don't see any reason to restrict cabin travel to furry, dander-producing critters with teeth, while denying it to other small pets, especially ones who can be securely packaged into travel containers and boxes and would therefore not inconvenience or frighten anyone. Or trigger anyone's allergies, for that matter.