Key takeaways:
- The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is warning pet owners not to put their animals through the X-ray machine.
- Animals can be taken through the metal detector, but must be removed from their carriers and held by the owner.
- The TSA recommends that pet owners inform the security officer that they are traveling with a pet.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is issuing a warning to pet owners who are flying with their animal companions: do not send your pets through the X-ray unit. This reminder comes days after a pet cat was discovered in a passenger’s carry-on bag during a security screening at Norfolk International Airport in Virginia.
TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein tweeted about the incident on March 3, saying, “A traveler left their pet cat in its travel carrying case at a @TSA checkpoint this morning at @NorfolkAirport. Just when you thought it was safe to bring your pet cat on a trip. . . Cat-astrophic mistake!” Farbstein also included an orange X-ray image of the feline crouched down in a bag.
The TSA has long warned pet owners not to put their animals through the X-ray machine. Animals can be taken through the metal detector, but must be removed from their carriers and held by the owner. The TSA also recommends that pet owners inform the security officer that they are traveling with a pet.
TSA officials have seen a variety of items in carry-on bags, but this incident serves as a reminder that pets should never be put through the X-ray machine. “Tucked inside carry-ons?” Farbstein said. “Attention pet owners: Please do not send your pet through the X-ray unit.”
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