Can Pets Walk on a Leash in an Airport? (Updated 6-20)

I'm planning ahead and checking to see if Seymour will be allowed out of his crate between flights. I haven't checked with the airports in Paris or Rome, but since they are very dog-friendly in Europe, I'm just going to let him walk on a leash there. In the USA, things are a little different. This is what I found out about the Austin airport.

Austin Airport Rules about pets state:
"Pets, including dogs and other animals, are not allowed in the terminal, as per City Ordinance § 13-1-33 Restrictions on Animals except for:

an animal used by a law enforcement officer in the officer’s performance of duties;
a seeing-eye dog escorting a visually impaired person, or other service animal being used for assistance by a person with disabilities; or
an animal that is being delivered to, or picked up from, an air carrier for transportation
Visitors who are not ticketed passengers may not bring their pets inside the terminal, including bag claim and the ticket lobby unless it meets one of the above exceptions.

Ticketed passengers with pets or a person responsible for an animal being shipped by an air carrier must:

restrain the animal by a leash or carry the animal in a cage approved for airline use;
take the animal directly to the air carrier for shipment; and
Remove the animal from the terminal as soon as delivery of the animal is taken from the air carrier.
A traveler carrying an animal in the secure area or through a screening point onto an aircraft must at all times keep the animal in a cage approved for airline use. Service animals are not subject to these rules.."

So, basically they are saying that pets have to be in their carriers after they go through security.

Since we will be transferring to another flight in Atlanta, I wrote to the Atlanta airport to see if I can walk Seymour on a leash or if he has to stay in the crate. I sure hope he can get out and stretch his legs! I'll let you know.

UPDATE 6-20: Response from Raj Nayar from Atlanta International Airtport: "While transferring the flight, the dog must be in his crate." DANG!

It seems that most airport websites don't automatically cover this bit of information. I've read that even if an airport has a policy that you have to keep your dog in a crate, they are sometimes flexible and won't say anything if they are walking on a leash.

Those little guys need to stretch their legs as much as we do!