For someone who says he prefers cats over dogs, Nic Day spends a lot of time with canines.
Atlas, a 1-year-old Akita, is nearly always by Day’s side. A Marine Corps veteran, Day started experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder after multiple tours in Iraq.
As had been widely reported, airlines have seen a sharp rise in the number of animals traveling on planes. Some are ticketed pets, but many are pets that have been flying for free thanks to loopholes in rules governing the transport of emotional or psychiatric support animals.
American Airlines reported a 40 percent increase in the number of service and emotional support animals on flights between 2016 and 2017. United Airlines cited a 75 percent increase year over year.