CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — Will you be traveling soon, and taking your pet along for the journey?
The Buffalo Niagara International Airport TSA has important tips for those to get their pets safely through security.
People traveling with pets should be made aware that pets cannot go through or be screened in a checkpoint X-ray unit. Travelers are to remove their pet from its carrier and an agent will guide them through the necessary steps. The empty pet carrier is the only pet-related item that can go through an X-ray unit.
The picture below is an example of this
These are more tips from the TSA for those traveling with pets preparing to be screened
- All pets should be brought to a security checkpoint in a hand-held travel carrier.
- Remove the pet from the carrier just prior to the beginning of the screening process.
- Place the empty travel carrier on the checkpoint conveyor belt so it can be X-rayed.
- Never place a pet in the X-ray tunnel. The X-ray at the security checkpoint is used to screen passengers’ personal property and carry-on luggage only.
- If possible, carry the pet through the walk-through metal detector during the screening process. Alternatively, a pet can walk through the screening process if the owner has the pet on a leash. Best to listen to the guidance that a TSA officer is providing.
- A TSA officer will give the pet owner’s hands an explosive trace detection swab to ensure there is no explosive residue on the owner’s hands.
- After the screening process is complete, owners should return their pet to the travel carrier at the re-composure area away from the security checkpoint. This location helps ensure the safety of the pet as well as other passengers.
Other tips along with screening include
- Acclimate the pet to the process of traveling by familiarizing it with the travel carrier in the days leading up to the trip. This familiarization will help ensure the pet is more relaxed as it travels through the security process and the airport.
- Be on the lookout for “working” canines and handlers at the airport. Areas where it is common to see a working dog at airports may include a security checkpoint or in the terminal concourse. If you encounter a working canine, please consider shifting to an alternate checkpoint so that there is no interference with a government working dog’s tasks.
- Know the temperament of your pet and ensure that you can maintain control of it in a busy and potentially crowded airport. This is especially important for cats, who often get skittish when they are removed from their pet carrier and hear and see the sounds and sights of a checkpoint.
- Travelers who have pets that may be skittish when removed from a pet carrier, and may attempt to struggle or jump away should request that a TSA officer screen the pet in a private screening room. The traveler will be escorted to the room with the pet still in its carrier.
- When traveling with service animals and pets, it is a good idea to contact your airline directly for policy details as they vary by airline and time of year.
- Travelers should become familiar with the pet relief areas at their departing airport and arrival airport.
To learn more visit www.tsa.gov/travel/travel-tips
