US Dept of Transportation moving for new regulations barring emotional support animals on aircraft and requiring proof of training for service animals

[5kidsmommy]

I’ve not yet had the experience of being seated next to a person with a pet on-board and I pray I never do. I am not a pet lover and would intensely resent it.

There was a dog behind me on a flight a couple weeks ago which I didn’t realize. I was one of the first to board and quickly fell asleep, red eye flight in a different time zone that was already two hours delayed. I noticed though that I woke up and was pretty stuffed up. It wasn’t until landing that the dog started whining. That explains my sinuses. I have a minor allergy. Luckily the flight was only four hours and once off the plane my nose cleared up. I rarely fly anywhere and I was flying to visit my daughter in the hospital. I took 6 flights over the trip there and back and that was the only dog on the flight I experience. I guess I was lucky.

 

[Heather07438]

I love that WDW tries to be very inclusive.

But I can't help wanting to crack up every time I see a ride sign that explains it cannot accept ESAs. What dog or miniture horse wanted to be part of a trip to Space Mountian, lol! Many other rides do accept them.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/service-animals/

 

[xipotec]

They could allow the animals to be part of the ride.

 

[Heather07438]

They could allow the animals to be part of the ride.

Honorary CM?

 

[maxaroni]

IMO, another one of those things that when given an Inch, one takes a mile. Some people may truly need an ESL, but it has become a thing to be able to take your pet anywhere & everywhere.

 

[OneOftheB's]

Please explain what a mini horse does for a client that a dog cannot.

My understanding is that a mini horse is sometimes used, instead of a dog, because they provide more stability if the person has an issue requiring assistance moving. They also have a much longer "useful" life than the average large service dog. I want to say that many service dogs have am 8-10 year working ability between training for their job and retirement; horses have average lifespans of 20-25 years and can work into their 20's.

 

[tvguy]

About half? Do you have a source to back up that claim? That sounds quite high.

Actually, the first sting was 60%. Tomorrow at work i will try and find the DMV press release.

 

[tvguy]

About half? Do you have a source to back up that claim? That sounds quite high.

Only Press Release I can find averages out to only 12%, although some areas are close to 50%. https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/pubs/newsrel/2017/2017_40

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I love that WDW tries to be very inclusive.

But I can't help wanting to crack up every time I see a ride sign that explains it cannot accept ESAs. What dog or miniture horse wanted to be part of a trip to Space Mountian, lol! Many other rides do accept them.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/service-animals/

ESA and SA are two different things

 

[DisneyOma]

I would say we can do without these therapy animals totally. Its an emotional crutch. Somehow we dod without this for decades.

No one considers the people with allergiea that have to deal with pet hair flying all over on a closed airplane.

Even though they may help some people , I would say 90 % of these therapy animals are BS.

"Emotional Crutch"? I guess it's okay to drink, do drugs, self harm, commit suicide due to emotional issues like anxiety, depression, and panic attacks, but to have a well behaved, well taken care of animal help you through an issue? Well, that's a crutch, for sure!

For decades, people suffered in silence. They dropped out of high school, college, and life. We locked them up in institutions, for goodness sake!

Pet hair and dander comes in on people's clothing as well. If someone is that sensitive, the attendants should be told, or even better, the airline told ahead of time. Arrangements can be made.

 

[DuskKodesh]

Therapy animals definitely shouldn't be dog only. There's someone I follow on social media with a therapy rat that goes to libraries. She visits kids and the kids who have confidence issues learn to read by reading out loud to the rat. That's this rats job, be read to, but even he had to go through certification and temperament testing for that. It's the sweetest thing to see the little kids reading to a rat curled up in a basket.

 

[Flight]

I would say 90 % of these therapy animals are BS.

You derived this number how?

Was it through intense research, massive number of interviews, and pouring over scholarly studies?

if so, then it is something to ponder and discuss further. If not, then it is an attack on those that struggle with life and are seeking ways to get by on a daily basis.

Either way, a complex issue.

 

[jrmasm]

Therapy dogs, ESAs and service animals are not all the same thing.

 

[tzolkin]

Just to clarify because people use the terms interchangeably... we are taking about three different things.

Service Animal: trained to perform a service for someone with a disability. Allowed to go into public places with their human.

Therapy Animal: trained and certified to be used for therapy purposes (hospital, nursing home, school, etc). They are only allowed in places where they are invited for therapy purposes. They cannot go into stores, restaurants, and airplanes with their handler.

Emotional Support Animal: the topic of this thread. No training, just a pet that a therapist has stated the owner needs for various reasons. Allowed to live with their owner even if housing does not permit pets. Have also been allowed on planes. They are NOT allowed to accompany their owners everywhere. Unfortunately, because most do not understand the difference, no one says anything when people bring their ESA to places they are not allowed (stores, Disney, etc).

 

[DuskKodesh]

Just to clarify because people use the terms interchangeably... we are taking about three different things.

Service Animal: trained to perform a service for someone with a disability. Allowed to go into public places with their human.

Therapy Animal: trained and certified to be used for therapy purposes (hospital, nursing home, school, etc). They are only allowed in places where they are invited for therapy purposes. They cannot go into stores, restaurants, and airplanes with their handler.

Emotional Support Animal: the topic of this thread. No training, just a pet that a therapist has stated the owner needs for various reasons. Allowed to live with their owner even if housing does not permit pets. Have also been allowed on planes. They are NOT allowed to accompany their owners everywhere. Unfortunately, because most do not understand the difference, no one says anything when people bring their ESA to places they are not allowed (stores, Disney, etc).

Thank you for clarifying. No one I know has any of the above so I wasn't quite aware of the difference. <3

 

[Heather07438]

ESA and SA are two different things

Just to clarify because people use the terms interchangeably... we are taking about three different things.

Service Animal: trained to perform a service for someone with a disability. Allowed to go into public places with their human.

Therapy Animal: trained and certified to be used for therapy purposes (hospital, nursing home, school, etc). They are only allowed in places where they are invited for therapy purposes. They cannot go into stores, restaurants, and airplanes with their handler.

Emotional Support Animal: the topic of this thread. No training, just a pet that a therapist has stated the owner needs for various reasons. Allowed to live with their owner even if housing does not permit pets. Have also been allowed on planes. They are NOT allowed to accompany their owners everywhere. Unfortunately, because most do not understand the difference, no one says anything when people bring their ESA to places they are not allowed (stores, Disney, etc).

Yes, thank you! I was definitely confused thinking both SA and ESA fell under the same guidelines.

In my jobs dealing with the public over decades many SA came in, usually to assist visually impairment. The past 5 years it's more commonplace with a wide variety of breeds and situations. The busy restaurant I worked did not make a distinction between groups and accepted both service and support dogs. It hadn't become disruptive and I'm sure they were keen to avoid possible litigation. Maybe if an incident occurred something may have changed but the other patrons seemed comfortable. No protests or concerns, just business as usual.
Maybe that restaurant should have refused ESA to remain within health codes? Nothing ever came of it so in hindsight it's not a huge problem. I don't work there anymore so don't know what their protocol is today.

 

[Boopuff]

I was at the airport a few weeks ago, and there was an "untrained" dog. A smallish breed that kept barking and carrying on. Now most true service dogs are well trained, and don't bark forever. I was thankful that the dog and owner weren't on my flight. And don't they usually get the bulkhead seats?

 

[Flight]

I was at the airport a few weeks ago, and there was an "untrained" dog. A smallish breed that kept barking and carrying on. Now most true service dogs are well trained, and don't bark forever. I was thankful that the dog and owner weren't on my flight. And don't they usually get the bulkhead seats?

Sometimes.

I have seen them all over the airplane in each of the different classes. I feel bad for some of the larger dogs crammed into small spaces on the floor. The airlines do not provide a lot of room on certain aircraft - for any of us. Even the bulkhead row can be tight for a larger dog when all the seats are occupied.

 

[Coffee54]

Has to be rules. Emotional support animals is something I don't believe in. All animals should be caged except service dogs for the disabled.

 

[Heather07438]

I was at the airport a few weeks ago, and there was an "untrained" dog. A smallish breed that kept barking and carrying on. Now most true service dogs are well trained, and don't bark forever. I was thankful that the dog and owner weren't on my flight. And don't they usually get the bulkhead seats?

Maybe the dog had a flight phobia. Like when a dog goes back to the vet they remember how frightened they were was last time. In this case the barking dog also needed his ESA, the human.