this sucks

American Pit Bull Terriers (Pit Bulls, Pit Bull Terriers)

Continental Airlines will accept American Pit Bull Terrier puppies which are between 8 weeks and 6 months of age provided they do not weigh more than 20 lb (9 kg). All American Pit Bull Terriers more than 6 months old or weighing more than 20lb (9 kg) will be refused. This embargo does not apply to American Staffordshire Terriers, Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, or Miniature Bull Terriers. Crossbreeds with American Pit Bull Terriers are also excluded from this embargo. This embargo is due to the aggressiveness of the breed and the danger presented to our aircraft and our customers.


what in the hell!

 

"This embargo is due to the aggressiveness of the breed and the danger presented to our aircraft and our customers."



*sigh*

What sad individuals...

 

just more discrimination to us and our breed...man everyone thinks they can just take all rights away from whoever they want

 

yeah there real dangerous in a crate or kennel....come on they could have made a rule about using some type of strong enclosure before banning them all together...thats BS

 

this is actually old news, they have been banned from their airline for a while now, its really stupid... i used to have a website that had the list of all airlines that banned flying them at a certain age, now i cant find it... a friend of mine just had fly in a female pit from seattle, i think she came in on alaska air but am not sure. some airlines will fly them if they are american staffordshire and not american pit bull.. it depends on their wording...

 

Delta refuses these breeds also because a " pit bull type dog " chewed through his carrier and then chewed some wiring in the cargo area ( where they are kept ) I read this in Dog Fancy several years ago. They also do not accept, rotts, dobies or any other strong breed. This was their reason why.

 

We should all be used to the ignorance by now....not saying it's right. All of us know that an APBT would be so sweet to their handlers on an airline, we just gotta keep educating people. For instance, this weekend I went to my cousin's graduation party. I hadn't seen her in a while and she wanted to see pics of the puppies I had on my camera. So I'm showing her and there's a couple old ladies there like "what kind of dogs are they?" So I told them and they're like "oh, those mean vicious man killers, bla bla bla" So I spent about an hour setting them straight, showing them pics of all my dogs with my little girl. Then, realizing their age, I said "don't you remember Our Gang? Weren't these dogs the symbol of American strength and integrity when you were younger?" I think that got to them cuz they got quiet and one of them said "yeah, I guess any breed could be vicious in the wrong hands". Score one for us. We just have to take it one person at a time.....

 

Well, this is the perfect opportunity for all to call our APBT, staffies. LOL If they confuse them for ours, why not use their ignorance against them?

For the smaller APBT, we can say they are puppies (they are used to 100lb monsters) or mixed bred. LMAO.

Sometimes their ignorance can be used to our advantage.

 

Yes, we have to use the best method of educating according to the listener. I have stated to use "Petey" as an example when speaking to an elderly audience. You can also remind them that the APBT was the AMERICAN symbol of bravery in WWI. Furthermore, you can remind them of the sequence of dogs labeled as "vicious, man-eating, monsters". G. Sheppard (50's), Doberman P. (60-70's), Rotties (80-90's), APBT (90-?), Presa Canario (future?)....

Just remember NEVER to deny their animal aggression. Even many Staffies have some level of aggression towards animals. Our duty is to educate using facts not to make our dogs look to be something else (couch potatos, tame to everything, etc.)

Just the same, thanks for doing your part to dispell the media's wrong doings.

Regards,


RH

 

Well then, all mine are now an AST. Like it or not.

 

Well, this won't be much of a surprise, but I wrote a pretty heated letter today to Continental. I was pretty pissy about it, so my points weren't as well thought out, and I chose not to identify myself to them as an owner or advocate because I knew I was angry and didn't want to reflect on or misrepresent anyone else. I suggested locking crates, which of course is against regulations as I should have figured. Anyway- here is my letter basically venting off some steam followed by Continental's oh so sweet and smug response. Bastards.
I am deeply troubled by your discrimination against American Pit Bull Terriers. It is completely impossible for someone who does not know the breed to distinguish between a 20 lb American Staffordshire and a 20 lb American Pit Bull. You had better reword your policy, because Staffordshires have the resemblences of American Pit Bulls, and you are going to anger a lot of people when you discriminate after you have stated Staffordshires are allowed. I highly doubt any of your personel are anywhere near qualified enough to make those necessary distinctions.<o:p></o:p>


How is a crated animal a threat anyway? Surely you are not admitting that degree of miserable ineptness amongst your staff. The chance of your staff becoming injured by a crated American pit bull is absolutely no greater than any other breed of dog. Aggressiveness toward humans is not a trait of the American Pit Bull, and for your airline to suggest such a remedial generalization is absolutely asinine. Perhaps you should suggest ALL dogs be transported on your airline with locking devices on the cages, to nullify your claims of risk. I will laugh to no end when I read of a Continental employee's finger getting mangled by a poodle having a bad day. While you are feeling safe and warm without "Pit Bulls" on your airline, you will turn a blind eye to a really vicious dog and someone will get hurt. You've set up a false sense of security for your staff, and I look forward to seeing it backfire. And it will, it's the way all imbalances caused by prejudice and discrimination correct themselves. While your staff is so involved screening dogs for "forbidden pit bull cargo", someone will let a true security breach occur. You've created a diversion tactic with the potential to be used against you by anyone who reads of your "anti pit bull policy". <o:p></o:p>


Your decision to exclude American Pit Bulls is an act of unfounded bigotry, plain and simple. And what's worse? You are completely aware of it.








Dear Customer,<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Thank you for expressing your concerns. We understand your frustration with our policy. However, please rest assured that before we put a policy in place, we examine all alternatives and determine what works best for us as an airline. Due to the issues we and our own personnel have experienced (which is what makes our policy very founded), an embargo was the best way for us to address the issue. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Furthermore, we are not alone in this decision. Many airlines do not accept Pit Bulls at all (we do ship puppies under 6months and under 20lbs). Additionally many countries have a complete ban on Pit bulls imports of any age. Although there are Pit Bulls that are not dangerously aggressive, those that do have an overly aggressive nature are very dangerous because they are excessively strong. Most pet kennels make short work for an adult Pit Bull that is focused on getting out of his kennel.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Locking a pet kennel is strictly forbidden by the TSA and by international regulations. This is not a feasible solution. And please understand that Continental Airlines always has the right to refuse any dog despite breed considerations that seems overly aggressive. So an angry poodle would be refused passage as well as your adult Pit Bull.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

As far as determining the breed of a dog, you are correct in saying that we are not qualified to make this call. That is only one reason why we require a health certificate. This document is filled out by your licensed veterinarian who is more than qualified to make the call on the breed of your dog. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Finally, this policy has been in place since August of 2002 and it has worked well for us thus far.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Continental Airlines appreciates your concerns and we appreciate the fact that you have taken time out of your day to express them to us. I hope that the information I have provided here can help quell the frustration you are feeling and lend some understanding into our permanent decision.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Best Regards,<o:p></o:p>

Melanie<o:p></o:p>

Continental Airlines PetSafe Desk<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

<hr tabindex="-1" align="center" size="2" width="100%"> ​

 

<o>Whatever the heck these things </o><o>:p>>:p>> appeared on my post for, we may never know.


</o>

 

Yep I had done that exact thing years ago when I use to rent the houses I lived in...thank god I dont have to anymore...it was a chore to remember saying AST in front of my landlord...lol

 

That is correct...
Unless shipping Internationaly, I choose ground transport.

 

I agree 100%, ground is the way to go.

 

Mine have always been shipped as "terrier mix" or if black, "lab mix". I've never had a problem with any carrier. Most of them are ignorant enough they only know what you tell them. Hell, I told the vet that I got the health check cert for that my dog was a patterdale / staffordshire mix so that he'd put "terrier mix" down. He was no wiser to it than the airlines.

Regards,

B

 

Absolutely, and I agree.

However I kept thinking about a friend who lived in Denver (She moved there with her family and american bulldog/pitmix from Georgia knowing nothing about the ban)frantically trying to get her Pit Bull flown to safety in Georgia, and didn't have the means right then to get her whole family out via ground transport. She knew they were coming to seize her dog, and I could only think how horrible it would be if the dog's only way back to Georgia got snuffed out by a bigoted airline to boot. Thank God she didn't book with Continental!

 

I flew out to BC with my dog. I was caught between a cheap cage or an expensive one. Luckily I chose the expensive sturdier one.

When I took him off the plane the luggage handler said that I should check him out because there was blood on the container. He had chewed a piece out of the container and had we travelled another 6 hours he might have been able to get his snout out of the cage.

Had I gotten the cheap cage he'd have been out of it in 15 minutes or half an hour tops. They really should make the dog's travel contingent on the type of carrier that it is put in for its journey.

 

where can i locate ground shippers? i havent been able to find any.

 

also i think its funny. when their talking about 20lb pitbulls. those little pitbulls are just as stronge as any large one. i mean youve guys have heard the stories of lil pits distroying anything and every thing.