Proposed FAA Rule Hits Pet Breeders
Daily Policy Digest
Regulatory Issues / Air Travel (Economic/Competitive Issues)
Friday, December 20, 2002
Animal rights activists are making life tougher for animal breeders who sell and ship their wares to pet enthusiasts via air cargo. The activists have convinced the Federal Aviation Administration to propose new rules that would require airlines to count and report all animals -- including fish and snakes -- that die or are injured in transit.
The airlines say the rule is so cumbersome that they might stop shipping animals altogether -- or at least make it more costly.
The proposal would require carriers to monitor the condition of animals they transport and report any injuries or deaths to the FAA.
Pets traveling with their owners would be covered, as well as animals being shipped by breeders to shops or individuals.
Opponents say the carriers are going to have to investigate everything -- down to the last dead tropical fish.
The airlines also complain about forcing their employees to open up boxes of snakes to determine if each one is alive.
Both sides in the dispute have so far flooded the Department of Transportation with more than 3,000 letters ahead of the December 27 deadline for comment.
Source: Ryan Dezember, "When Pigs Fly... FAA Rule Pits Breeders vs. Rights Activists," Wall Street Journal, December 20, 2002.
WONDER WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US??!!
Daily Policy Digest
Regulatory Issues / Air Travel (Economic/Competitive Issues)
Friday, December 20, 2002
Animal rights activists are making life tougher for animal breeders who sell and ship their wares to pet enthusiasts via air cargo. The activists have convinced the Federal Aviation Administration to propose new rules that would require airlines to count and report all animals -- including fish and snakes -- that die or are injured in transit.
The airlines say the rule is so cumbersome that they might stop shipping animals altogether -- or at least make it more costly.
The proposal would require carriers to monitor the condition of animals they transport and report any injuries or deaths to the FAA.
Pets traveling with their owners would be covered, as well as animals being shipped by breeders to shops or individuals.
Opponents say the carriers are going to have to investigate everything -- down to the last dead tropical fish.
The airlines also complain about forcing their employees to open up boxes of snakes to determine if each one is alive.
Both sides in the dispute have so far flooded the Department of Transportation with more than 3,000 letters ahead of the December 27 deadline for comment.
Source: Ryan Dezember, "When Pigs Fly... FAA Rule Pits Breeders vs. Rights Activists," Wall Street Journal, December 20, 2002.
WONDER WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US??!!
