There are strict regulations surrounding the transportation of animals across borders, for obvious reasons. And as a result, people have been sneaking their animals onto planes by concealing them on their bodies, and the TSA wishes they would stop.
Some animals can’t be brought to foreign countries due to their invasive nature. Others will need a passport, which can sometimes be costly. In these cases, it’s usually best to just leave the animal at home. But a lot of people become incredibly emotionally attached and refuse to leave them.
Whether it’s because they can’t get a pet sitter or they simply have attachment issues with their pets, the TSA has noted that numerous people have been hiding animals on their bodies. They have, rather than declare the pet, concealed it in their clothing.
One situation in particular has made it to the TSA Facebook, providing the perfect example of what they’re talking about.
Turtle Titties
It’s not only illegal to smuggle animals on the body, but also quite dangerous for the critter in question. The Facebook post used one woman as an example. “OK, friends, please – and we cannot emphasize this enough – stop hiding animals in weird places on your body and then trying to sneak them through airport security,” they began.
“A Florida woman traveling out of Miami International Airport (MIA) recently attempted to take a pair of turtles through our checkpoint, and the turtles were stuffed inside… yes, you guessed it… her brassiere.”
Rather than declare the small pets, which she would have been able to transport, by the way, she hid the animals on her body. Sadly, it was too much for one of the turtles. It died in transit.
“We want you to be able to travel with your pets. And, you turtle-ly can. But please travel with them safely. You can start by reaching out to your airline for their rules concerning pets on board flights. As far as TSA screening goes, small pets are allowed through our checkpoint. But they must be removed from any carriers and carried through the checkpoint,” they clarified.
Before trying to sneak your pet python onto a plane by wrapping it around your body, just check if you could bring it in a normal way. It could save your pet and a lot of hassle.