How to protect your pet during an in-flight emergency

Airlines require cabin pets to remain in their kennels at all times, though some carriers, such as Delta, allow passengers to hold their enclosed pet on their lap when the plane is not taking off, taxiing or landing. If the air turns choppy, owners should tuck the kennel under their seat — the safest spot for the animal and, by extension, any nearby passengers.

Liz Rozanski, a critical care veterinarian at Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, recommends traveling with a hard-shell pet case rather than a soft-sided bag. “The stiffer ones are more like a child’s seat,” she said. A hard case can also better repel rolling objects, such as water bottles.

Inside the enclosure, soft bedding will provide protective padding. Mandell suggests removing any objects that could turn into projectiles, such as toys or food.

The rules are different for service dogs, which are allowed to sit in the open, by their owner’s feet or on their lap. If you have a carrier, place your service dog inside as soon as the pilot switches on the seat-belt sign. If you don’t have one, Mandell said, seat the dog on the floor, cradle it between your legs, and wrap your arms around its chest in a safe and comforting hug, “as long as you’re not putting yourself at risk.”