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from the my-emotional-support-is-a-lion dept.
The young, perfectly healthy looking guy ahead of me in Panera Bread walked his fifty lb. dog to the front of the line - I can't tell you the breed since I don't know dogs - and was immediately told that the dog had to go. "Um, I have an anxiety disorder", he replied. The cashier turned around to consult with the manager, but people were still waiting to order, and soon it was conceded that the customer and his service dog/best friend could stay for lunch. And they did.
The Chicago Tribune reports that similar incidents are cropping up on airlines. Passengers dread having their pets locked up in a kennel in the cargo section, and airlines charge hefty fees for the service, so some of them are taking advantage of a legal loophole allowing service dogs of disabled people to ride in the passenger cabin free of charge; but in these cases the disability is "emotional distress" rather than, say, blindness. Many of these passengers pay a licensed therapist for the certificate of need required by airline gate attendants, and for an expensive vest for their "service animals".
From the Tribune story:
"It's definitely gotten carried away to the point where people are taking advantage of the system," [Atlanta flight attendant] Williams said. "It's hard when someone is following protocol and they're not allowed to take the animal out of the cage, but others use the loophole to have an animal sit on their lap."
The story mentions that some fellow passengers and advocates for the (real) disabled are annoyed with the game-playing and lax enforcement. However, others perhaps side with the late Harry Nilsson, who famously sang "I'd take my puppy everywhere, la-la-la I wouldn't care. We'll stay away from crowds, signs that said 'No friends allowed'".
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 18 2016, @05:50AM
Emotional support animals are not service dogs. They do not qualify for the special access granted to service dogs under the ADA. A service dog must be trained to perform a specific task. Guide dogs for the blind are the most well-known example, but other service dogs include allergy alert dogs, diabetic alert dogs, seizure alert dogs, all of which are trained to alert their human when these potentially life-threatening medical conditions arise. Or they may be trained to assist disabled but not wheelchair-bound people in tasks that are difficult for them, like picking things up for them or helping them navigate stairs.
Emotional support dogs, in the eyes of the law, are simply pets. So if someone claims their dog is for emotional support, you aren't required to allow them. In some places (for example, in places where food is prepared) you may even be required to keep them out.
Myself, I love dogs and think (well-behaved) dogs should be allowed almost everywhere, but unfortunately society doesn't agree.
The other issue is whether it is safe for dogs to fly as cargo. The short answer: it's not. Dogs are routinely killed while flying as cargo. Really, airlines should simply refuse to transport animals as cargo, period. For cats and small dogs, they can ride in the cabin as carry-on baggage (this is already allowed most of the time). Larger dogs will have to take a road trip. Not only is this safer for the dogs, it would also put puppy mills out of business. It may seem inconvenient, but it's really for the best.