Dog chewing bone. U.S. airlines began changing the rules earlier this year, especially for emotional-support animals, after passengers brought not only dogs and cats but turkeys, goats, snakes and pigs onto planes. Delta flies about 700 service animals per day, a 150% increase since 2015. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Delta Air Lines Inc. is barring emotional-support and service animals that are less than four months old, while banning all support animals from flights longer than eight hours.

The changes will take effect for tickets issued on or after Dec. 18, the carrier said Monday. Passengers who bought tickets before then and who already requested to travel with an emotional support animal will be allowed a grace period to fly as originally planned until a full ban starts Feb. 1.

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