A video of a pilot taking a passenger's dog outside for a brief walk during a delay has gone viral on TikTok.
The moment was captured in a video shared by Alison wonderland (@alisonwonderland), which has garnered 1.8 million views since it was posted on June 22. The incident took place on a United flight, according to a later comment by the dog owner.
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A message overlaid on the clip reads: "Our pilot offered to take this lady's dog to the toilet while we were stuck on the runway for 2.5 hours cos we we weren't allowed off."
The dog owner, Katie O'Regan, told Newsweek: "This is my dog Lacey and I permitted Alison to post this." The footage shows the pilot standing with the pup on a leash near a grassy patch behind a fence. He's later shown walking the dog back onto the plane.
O'Regan said the pilot "walked my corgi for me when we were stranded a few days ago," noting that she and Lacey were "flying back [from] Burbank when we got delayed for 2.5 hours."
The latest post comes as two-thirds of pet owners in the U.S. said they would bring their pet whenever they travel if possible in a survey of over 1,000 Americans conducted by the Upgraded Points website.
According to the research, 83 percent of pet owners have reported altering their travel plans to better accommodate their pet's needs. This includes just under half (42 percent) who do it occasionally, while more than one in 10 (11 percent) do it frequently.
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The United website explains that the airline no longer allows passengers to check their pets through the PetSafe program (which provides travel options for pets that cannot travel in the cabin or cargo hold) or fly pets in cargo, unless they're traveling as active-duty military animals or with the U.S. State Department.
"If you plan to fly with your pet, they must be a cat or dog and be in the cabin with you (if there's space available). You can bring up to 2 pets per person," according to the airline.
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There are no weight or breed restrictions for pets, but they must travel in either a hard-sided or soft-sided carrier, which must fit under the seat in front of you or you cannot fly with your pet. Service animals are the only animals allowed on planes without a carrier, the airline notes.
'VIP Exclusive Treatment'
In a later comment in the viral post, the dog owner said: "We were flying on United. We were not in first class. He offered to take Lacey out. I was so worried she would be too scared to go with him, but he even picked her up to go down the steep stairs."
A caption shared with the post says: "Protect this man at all costs."
TikTok users praised the pilot.
LLENN said: "Doggo getting the VIP exclusive treatment."
Brandon Farbstein wrote: "@United Airlines one of your pilots going above and beyond!"
"I aspire to be this kind of pilot," said @unstable.supern0vaa.
Langston noted "Give this man a raise" and user7499279362785 said "That's a good man Savannah."
A file photo of a pilot outside a plane on a runway. A video of a pilot taking a passenger's dog for a walk during a plane delay has gone viral.A file photo of a pilot outside a plane on a runway. A video of a pilot taking a passenger's dog for a walk during a plane delay has gone viral.iStock / Getty Images PlusDo you have a travel-related video or story to share? Let us know via life@newsweek.com and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
