Fly United? Not With These 21 Banned Pet Breeds!

United Airlines says you are now cleared for takeoff UNLESS.  Unless what?  Unless you plan to travel with a pet that is on the new "officially banned" list.

The carrier has officially banned 21 breeds of dogs and four breeds of cats from flying in their cargo hold.  United says this change is part of the revision to their PetSafe travel program, which goes into effect on June 18th.

I mention this to add fuel to the fire of debate surrounding Yakima's pit bull ban.  Pit people will tell you all dogs are the same and the airline disagrees.  Citing a "concern for higher adverse health risks", United will essentially ban from transportation the short-nosed and snub-nosed dogs as well as "strong-jawed" breeds including pit bulls and pit bull mixed dogs.

United's PetSafe program  is reserved just for the cats and dogs that aren't on the banned list.

Banned Dog Breeds

• Affenpinscher
• American Bully
• American Pit Bull Terrier/Pit Bull
• American Staffordshire Terrier/"Amstaff"
• Belgian Malinois
• Boston Terrier
• Boxer
• Brussels Griffon
• Bulldog
  • American Bulldog
  • English Bulldog
  • French Bulldog
  • Old English Bulldogges
  • Shorty Bulldogs
  • Spanish Alano/Spanish Bulldog/Alano Espanol
• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
• Chow Chow
• English Toy Spaniel/Prince Charles Spaniel
• Japanese Chin/Japanese Spaniel
• Lhasa Apso
• Mastiff
  • American Mastiff
  • Boerboel/South African Mastiff
  • Bullmastiff
  • Ca de Bou/Mallorquin Mastiff
  • Cane Corso/Italian Mastiff
  • Dogo Argentino/Argentinian Mastiff
  • Dogue de Bordeaux/French Mastiff
  • English Mastiff
  • Fila Brasileiro/Brazilian Mastiff/Cao de Fila
  • Indian Mastiff/Alangu
  • Kangal/Turkish Kangal
  • Neapolitan Mastiff/Mastino Napoletano
  • Pakastani Mastiff/Bully Kutta
  • Pyrenean Mastiff
  • Presa Canario/Perro de Presa Canario/Dogo Canario/Canary Mastiff
  • Spanish Mastiff / Mastin Espanol
  • Tibetan Mastiff
  • Tosa/Tosa Ken/Tosa Inu/Japanese Mastiff/Japanese Tosa
• Pekingese
• Pug
  • Dutch Pug
  • Japanese Pug
• Shar-Pei/Chinese Shar-Pei
• Shih-Tzu
• Staffordshire Bull Terrier/"Staffys"
• Tibetan Spaniel

Banned Cat Breeds

• Burmese
• Exotic Shorthair
• Himalayan
• Persian

* Including mixed breeds