Please be aware that the fine for smuggling anything on board a plane is
huge.  If you don't buy a ticket for your animal, it's smuggling.  It may
vary by airline, or state, or other variables, but in Calif.  a flying
squirrel owner was fined $25,000.  The squirrel did get loose, and caused
a lot of panic before being sequestered in the lavatory.  When the plane
landed nobody was allowed off until the owner of the animal was carted away
in handcuffs.
 
I'm not saying this will happen to any of us, but considering the change in
ferret policy with various airlines recently it could.  We flew 2 of our
ferrets to the Holiday Expo on United last year, with no problems.  I did
not say I had ferrets in my carrier, and they didn't ask what kind of pet I
was buying the $50.  ticket for.  Our carrier was out of sight inside a
fabric bag, and stayed that way for the entire trip.
 
The situation with ferrets on planes is a problem for many of us, and I'm
not criticizing anyone.  As a now airline employee, I'm still waiting to
see what will happen the first time I try to take a ferret with me.  I was
absolutly flabbergasted to learn the amount of the flying squirrel owners
fine.  My reaction was "you mean twenty five hundred".  Nope, twenty five
THOUSAND was the top amount, and that's what he was fined.
 
Please think carefully folks.
 
Georgia - the left coast one...
[Posted in FML issue 2505]