It used to be just service animals that were allowed onboard airplanes. The rest of the pets had to ride in the cargo hold. However, with the rise in popularity of “emotional support animals”, more pets than ever are now boarding planes and sitting next to the humans.
While many of the animals are dogs, a few cats, a penguin, and even an occasional duck have been spotted on flights recently. Don’t believe us? Just check out these 75 photos of cute animals riding on airplanes for proof. These animals love flying, and no rules and regulations are ever going to stop them from hanging out in the main cabin.
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1234567890987Deee
1. Lap Dog
It looks like this Marine service dog is a little bit too big to sit on his owner’s lap. It’s pretty ridiculous. Although, our favorite part is how the dog is going to be staring directly at the woman in the seat behind the owner for the whole flight.
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WalkerFLRanger
2. Apple The Horse
Can you imagine seeing a horse riding on a plane? We know we can’t. However, this photo proves that it actually happened.
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GoldenDexter
3. Cute Passenger
This pup is pretty much the cutest ever. We would love to have her as one of our fellow passengers. Unfortunately, we always end up getting stuck next to the people with crying babies instead.
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Avenge_her_uterus
4. Suited Up
Bentley the dog was super excited to get to meet the captain at the end of the flight. It was such an honor for him. He made sure to wear his best attire for the occasion.
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iamkokonutz
5. Flying Duck
Most ducks fly south for the winter and this one is no exception. It just prefers to use airplanes instead of its wings. It was spotted on a flight to Asheville, North Carolina.
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mark_essig
6. Flight Companion
This little dog makes for a great companion on long-haul flights. She is so soft and cuddly and fits perfectly on your lap. We think airlines should provide dogs like this to every passenger.
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WatDaPho
7. Window Seat
This dog loves staring out the window. According to the photographer, he sat quietly watching the sights outside for five straight hours. He was very content.
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PariahParty
8. Sound Asleep
The puppy and her owner got bumped up to first class on this flight. Both of them were very pleased. They spent the flight taking a nice long nap in the big comfortable seats.
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se7enx
9. Cuddle Buddies
These two were happily passed out for hours on this flight. They make quite the duo. As long as they have each other and some music to listen to, flying is an entirely stress-free experience for them.
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willdogs
10. Sneaking On
Here we have a pup that is so tiny she fits in the owner’s carryon. She can be easily smuggled onto any flight. She is so cute that none of the passengers would ever rat her out to security.
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agonzal7
11. Oversized Passenger
Some dogs are so big that they need their entire own seat. That’s this big guy’s requirement. He only flies when there is plenty of room to spare on the flight.
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rockford4
12. Ruined Flight
“I had to put up with this obnoxiousness in the seat next to me on a connecting flight. Ruined my day,” explains the passenger. We don’t blame her for being upset. Look at how rowdy the pup is!
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asciibutts
13. Surprise Pup
Normally, surprises are the last thing that we want on an airplane. Although, there is such a thing as a good surprise. This is one of them.
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Bored Panda
14. Celebrity Sighting
This is the dog that stars in the Busch’s Baked Beans commercials. He is a big celebrity. When he flies, it’s almost always in first-class these days.
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crewsd
15. Hungry Beggar
The problem with emotional support dogs is that they aren’t exactly trained as well as service dogs. They still have bad habits like begging for food. Especially when one of the other passengers has Chex Mix.
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AsHappyAs
16. Penguin & Captain
The captain couldn’t resist posing for a photo with the penguin. It was the first time he had ever had a bird from the South Pole riding on one of his flights. It’s such a rare occurrence.
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-Loves2Spooge-
17. First Flight
Just like humans, some pets are afraid of flying too. Check out how nervous this dog is. He has never been on a plane before and doesn’t know what to think of the experience.
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bootscrilla
18. Small Talk
It’s always annoying when the passenger sitting next to you on the plane keeps trying to talk to you. Especially when they speak a different language. It makes communicating with them a big challenge.
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Ravkav
19. Friendly Evacuees
It’s not often there are multiple pets riding on a flight. However, this one is loaded with cute animals. It’s an evacuation flight for people who were living at Fort McMurray during a recent fire.
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spankr
20. Wild Animals
We have no idea why little baby leopards are riding on flights. However, we suppose that there are no real regulations surrounding what types of animals can be emotional support animals. The real question is if a fully grown leopard would be allowed?
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Kiter12
21. Great Memories
“This is the time my daddy and my other daddy Martin (whom I miss so much) brought me from LA to NY on the plane! See, I was found on the means streets of South Central alone and scared but somehow, I found my way to my daddies (Daddy Wayne too) and the best life EVER,” explains the dog.
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oliversworld1
22. Happy Koalas
Here we have a photo of the time Qantas airlines allowed four koalas to ride in first-class to celebrate Singapore’s anniversary of independence. The koalas were treated to amazing service. They received all of the drinks and eucalyptus leaves that they could eat.
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Qantas
23. Plane Boredom
It’s obvious that it isn’t this dog’s first flight. She is a frequent flyer. You can tell by just how bored and tired she is. Constant air travel does that to an animal…
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laranadiscoteca
24. Cuteness Award
According to the flight attendant who took the photo, this is the cutest passenger that she’s ever met. It’s not surprising that she would say that. The pup is absolutely adorable.
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Sharkinspace
25. Nosey Passenger
Toddlers love when you play games with them, and it turns out, so do dogs on planes. They love to have fun just as much as the little kids do. They have no problem sticking their nose into your business to get you to play with them.
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SucculentGravy
26. Little Cat
This man brought one of those little furless cats on the plane. It’s so and tiny and goofy-looking. It fits in the palm of his hand.
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melioremoriendi
27. Cat Pillow
Even pilots have pets that they bring with them on flights occasionally. This cat serves as an excellent pillow for the copilot. He can just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.
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Anniba
28. Tough Pup
It is exactly what you want to see sitting next to you on a plane — a big dog wearing a muzzle. It turns out though, it’s just a precaution. The dog is a trained US Air Force soldier.
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majorgunho
29. Cat Blanket
Who is this fluffball, you might wonder? Apparently, his name is Merlot. He is the fluffiest emotional support animal that we’ve ever seen.
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LuxeTiffany
30. Lucky Dog
Sometimes, service animals are lucky enough to have room to lay down on the seats. They don’t even have to sit on the floor or crowd their owner. That’s what happened on this flight.
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Hoomankitteh
31. Hello There
Here we have a service dog on a plane just being his normal goofy self. He might be a trained professional, but he still likes attention just as much as the other dogs. He is good at getting it.
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thefruitsnackfiend
32. Sleepy Kangaroo
This kangaroo even brought his own bed with him on the flight. Apparently, the first-class seats aren’t already comfortable enough. He decided to take his comfort to the next level.
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flyertalk
33. Cheer Up
The flyer was upset that he got the middle seat on the plan. Then he realized who was sitting next to him in the window seat. Suddenly, his mood did a complete 180.
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doylemad
34. Meeting The Captain
Some passengers are cuter than others. This one is definitely among the cutest. Even the captain had to come to say hello to her after the flight.
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frostyaviator
35. Stress Reliever
The person who took the photo was very afraid of flying. However, she figured that if the dog sitting next to her could handle it, then maybe she could too. The dog made the flight so much less stressful for her.
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StressRelievingPoo
36. Best Friends
This dog might take up all of the legroom for the passenger, but it’s totally worth it having her along. She is a good friend, and good friends don’t get left behind. They are part of the family.
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Reddit
37. Little Joey
Not only is it a baby kangaroo on a plane, but it’s a baby kangaroo on a plane wearing a beaded necklace. It’s pretty much cuteness overload. We almost can’t take it!
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riffraff1971
38. Small And Beautiful
What would you do if you were on a flight and spotted this pretty passenger walking down the aisle? We know what we would do. We would offer her one of those tasty pretzels they give you on flights as a snack and ask her to join us.
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grokm3
39. Making Friends
This pup isn’t sitting on its owner’s lap. Nope, it’s sitting on a fellow passenger. They both were very happy with the arrangement.
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mferris23
40. Flying Pig
Have you ever heard the expression “when pigs fly”? Well, here we have an actual pig that is flying. We never thought that we would see the day…
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hamlet_the_beach_hog
41. Pilot In Training
The puppy on this flight is actually a copilot. Check out his goofy headphones that are way too big for his head. He is all ready for takeoff, captain.
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_TheGermanGuy_
42. Nervous Friends
It looks like both of them are a little nervous while waiting for the plane to get going. At least they have each other there for support. They do a great job of taking care of each other.
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instajovsky
43. Best In Class
“This Irish Setter didn’t win the best in its group at Westminster, but it won the best in first class on my flight,” explains the passenger. The adorable pup curled up on the seat next to the man and made himself right at home.
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mepper
44. Pretty Parrot
It turns out, even parrots can be emotional support animals. It seems a little crazy, but it’s true. Let’s just hope that it doesn’t have to go to the bathroom during the flight.
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sev09
45. Sign Us Up
What do we have to do to bring our pup on the plane like this? It seems like everyone is doing it recently. It can’t be that difficult to get approval.
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emmaroller
46. Traveling Turkey
At some point, we just have to draw the line. Who brings a turkey on a plane as a “therapy pet”? It’s probably the most absurd animal on a plane on this entire list.
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biggestlittlepickle
47. Helping Hand
It looks like this pup is very interested in the Sudoko puzzle that the passenger is working on. He wants to help. Math isn’t exactly his specialty though.
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EM3music
48. Friendly Flyer
This goofball’s name is Pablo. Several of the passengers had the pleasure of getting to meet him on a recent flight. They were so happy they did. He is very friendly.
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isaid_biiiiiiiiitch
49. Labrador Or Dragon?
Here we have a Labrador flying on an airplane. He has a very unique look. The passenger compared him to Falcor the Luck Dragon from The Neverending Story.
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skycoaster
50. Heavy Breather
“This little guy breathed hot air on my leg for most of my two hour flight,” writes the passenger. The dog was squeezing his head in between the seats to say hello for pretty much the whole flight. At least he wasn’t slobbering though.
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gatz302
51. Seat Buddy
Check out this cute pup hiding under the seat. He happily laid there the entire trip, with occasional breaks where he came up to get a nice massage, of course. We can’t blame him for that.
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GrandMasterKeK
52. Hefty Passenger
Some emotional support animals are bigger than others. For example, this Alaskan Husky. He is one of the biggest dogs that we have ever seen onboard an aircraft.
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civilizer
53. Penguin Duo
This flight to New York City had a couple of penguins walking up and down the aisle. The other passengers were very surprised. One penguin is rare enough, but two penguins is even crazier.
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breakinthelaw88
54. Very Excited
Every person boarding the plane smiled when they saw this happy passenger. She is adorable and incredibly friendly. If it was up to her, she would say hello to everyone.
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primetarget
55. Invading Personal Space
The person thought that another passenger was playing footsie with them. However, it turned out to be a dog. They couldn’t believe it when they finally looked down.
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Roggin
56. Worried Passenger
German Shephards are normally pretty fierce. However, put one on a plane for the first time and it will get nervous just like everyone else. That’s what this photo proves.
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fkkchow
57. Exciting Flight
There is a movie playing on the television. However, this pup doesn’t care. For her, looking out the window is a much more interesting activity.
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nsajirah
58. Glaring Back
When the passenger accidentally kicked the seat in front of her, she got a mean glare from the other passenger. It turned out to be a cute dog. He didn’t like being disturbed.
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Midami
59. Fun Trip
Someone definitely looks excited to be up in the air. It’s not often a dog gets to fly. This one is enjoying every moment of it.
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drandolph
60. Famous Pup
It’s pretty unusual to get sat next to a celebrity on a plane. However, that’s what happened to this passenger. She went to her seat and noticed that she was sitting next to the dog from the Target commercials.
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babygthefirst
61. Bomb Dog
“On my flight tonight, I sat two seats away from an Air Force K-9 bomb dog. The dog had its own seat and everything,” explains the passenger. They were pretty amused by the situation, especially the “do not pet” collar.
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Generalgbo
62. Craving Jerky
When a passenger opened up a bag of beef jerky, he was shocked to see a dog suddenly appear out of a suitcase. The pup knew that there was food in the near vicinity. It immediately awoke from its slumber.
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ejh1230
63. New Friends
These emotional support pups made friends with each other on their flight. They never expected to have company. However, they just so happened to get seated in the same row.
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the-happy-medium
64. Foot Rest
The service dog decided to invade the space of some of the other passengers. The other passengers didn’t really mind though. Everybody loves dogs!
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Toucanicsam
65. Getting Rewards
If you are a good boy on the flight, you get rewarded. That’s what this dog is trying to tell the other passengers. He’ll spread the word to anyone who will listen.
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clolin
66. Super Energetic
There is nothing quite like an adorable canine friend to make the time pass quicker on a flight. This little ball of energy is enough to keep anyone occupied. He is constantly vying for attention.
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SEEJFLY
67. Close Up
This pup got up close and personal with the person sitting next to him. He was right up in their face trying to lick them. At least, it looks like that’s what he was trying to do.
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Drwhalefart
68. Private Jet
“I hit the karma lottery and was given a free flight on a private jet to get my dog out of state from a bad foster situation,” explains the owner. How awesome is that? A dog got his own personal free flight!
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blahblahblahokay
69. Natural Charmer
There is no better passenger to sit next to than this pup. She makes any flight more exciting. She doesn’t even have to try, it’s just in her nature to be friendly.
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3magdnim
70. Cats And Dogs
This flight had both a service dog and a service cat in the same row. What are the odds of that? Luckily, they both got along very nicely and neither of them caused any trouble.
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tarajoyless
71. Locked Up
Willie didn’t like being zipped up in the bag for the whole flight. However, he behaved great. He is going to be rewarded with tons of extra treats later.
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Jimthesquirrel
72. Slithered Onboard
We’ve all seen the movie Snakes on a Plane before. However, we thought it was just fiction. Apparently, on this Aeromexico flight, there actually was a snake!
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clampie
73. Aviation History
Here we have the first pig ever to fly. It happened back in 1909. He went up in the air in Great Britain with one of the very first aviators.
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aviationhumor
74. Just A Peek
The emotional support pup was supposed to stay inside the bag for the flight. However, she couldn’t resist poking her head out to check out the scenery. She just wanted to see what was going on.
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PhillipJack
75. Little Yoda
Bundled up under this blanket is Yoda. At least, that what it looks like. Star Wars fans will definitely notice the similarity.
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meeeeeooowwww
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