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USA TODAY article on Phony comfort pets on planes |
I was reading this, quite interested to see what the real concern was - and at first, it seemed the only real concern was that the airlines weren't getting their potential fees, which irritated me to no end...bc I've had it w/ the airlines complaining about their add-on fees. Then wayyyyyy down toward the end of the article, there was this: "...Critics say the use of phony support pets hurts travelers with disabilities and their service dogs.If true service dogs are getting bumped from flights bc of fake service dogs...oooo...that is most def NOT cool. :( |
It would be nice if you could at the least have to have a temperament test done and signed by a certain person to claim emotional support dog and or service dog is not aggressive. I'm not a fan of flying at all for so many reasons because to the airlines it's just about how they can get more money. Maybe we need more pet friendly options instead of leaving people to feel like they have no choice but to lie because it's either that or send the pet in cargo or "if" they are small enough pay rediculous money to shove them under the seat. I kinda get why people who lie when it comes to air planes. |
At the minimum there should be a training standard set for emotional support dogs like there is for blind device dogs epiplepsy alert dogs,etc. Service dogs used for physical assistance get lots of training must have cgc and even greater levels of obedience. I agree with the author poorly behaved and untrained service dogs give a bad rep to all |
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my youngest dd has an emotional support dog. She has a prescription written by her doctor ( her psychiatrists) that is renewed each year. When she does fly she has to book the flight and send the information in advance. It takes longer for check in because she has to show her paperwork in person. She does get pre boarding and I think she is allowed to take her dog out of the bag if she needs too. It has helper her alot. As to the claim the "real" support dogs can be effected by poorly trained dogs.. I can see that point but they could also be effected by any dog they run into. It is true that are many "fakes" -- online sites that give certificated to anyone who pays. I was told by a friend they got one by "consulting" with a psychiatrist online-- really??? How shady is that? But there are many that having their comfort dog really helps. |
I agree with the idea of making all service/emotional support dogs have a CGC type certification to prove they can behave. I have seen a growing number of very poorly behaved 'service' dogs in stores lately. I put service in quotes because I don't know what exactly they are. They might legitimately help their humans, but many of them have been very disruptive. I wish more humans knew how to behave around service dogs too. My understanding is that the dogs should be left alone so that they can focus on their jobs. |
Problem is the ADA makes the requirements vague so as not to create any barriers to those who need service animals or support animals. Another problem is that businesses do not dismiss the animals that are disruptive, or act out. That is because most do not know what the ADA law is all about. I agree that a CGC certification would be good for all emotional support animals, but the ADA does not require it, therefore, no teeth in it. Most people don't even know the difference between an emotional support animal and a service animal. Last week a patient of mine asked me to write her a letter for the airlines so she could take her sugar babies on the plane as emotional support animals. I professionally refused because she did not have a diagnosis that she was treated for that supported such a letter. Some professionals believe that if a person is too unstable to go out without an emotional support animal that they should not fly or travel anywhere that anything unexpected may occur. With that being said, the fraud going on is going to change it all and make it more difficult for everyone. |
This is very fascinating as I've seen several people fly with fraudulent service animal. Taylor makes a good point that the costs to fly a pet in cargo or in the cabin are fairly expensive. I do know there is a limit on the amount of pets you can have on the flight, which I respect as there could be people with allergies and in the event the dog has anxiety no one really wants a flight with a whiny dog. |
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True, but a whinny or anxious dog would not qualify for either a service animal or an emotional support animal. |
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Most airlines and transit systems stipulate they must act appropriately, not be aggressive and not disruptive to the business. Similar to service dog behavior expectations. |
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