Canadian airlines let pets fly in the cabin in evacuations

Canadian airlines have been relaxing their rules on animals in the cabin as they help residents (and their pets) evacuate Fort McMurray, Alberta and surrounding areas after wildfires have forced them to leave their homes.

When you board a plane, you don’t expect to be sitting next to a golden retriever, a pussy cat or a turtle… but that’s what greeted passengers this week as airlines relaxed their rules in light of the situation.

Thousands of residents have been forced to leave their homes in Fort McMurray, a city in the north of Alberta, as wildfires swept through the region. In order to make the evacuation process more bearable, WestJet and Canadian North allowed passengers to bring their pets into the cabin with them.

Typically animals are required to travel in the cargo hold but many pet-owners were unable to return home to get the required cages so instead, passengers were given a unique experience of traveling with their pets in the cabin. And look, they love it!

So many pictures of @CanadianNorth helping evacuate people and their pets pic.twitter.com/4OOLy6yDAk

— Ali Blair (@AliBlair112) May 6, 2016

Smallest @CanadianNorth PAX yet:)#ymmfire #evacuated #FortMacFire @CBCEdmonton @CBCNews pic.twitter.com/P3fIiMjwpJ

— CarmenCampbell✈ (@mum2boyz) May 7, 2016

A small kindness: @CanadianNorth relaxing cabin pet rules to evacuate #FortMacFire victims. #ymm pic.twitter.com/sS3mcHZ99B

— CTV Darcy (@darcynews) May 8, 2016

Img: Twitter