Originally Posted by MIA-SAT

There is an interesting article in today's New York Times magazine on this issue. There is a distinction between a service animal and an emotional support animal and it centers on the service that the animal can perform for the person with disabilities. The article also describes animals whose support services are perhaps surprising, but necessary. The issue appears to be fraught with legal issues for the airlines and for those who claim the need for the animal. If you cannot specifically name the service the animal is providing, your animal might not fly with you. However, the airlines and employers and others like grocery stores must be careful as to how they make the inquiry so as to avoid legal action. The issue is a whole lot more complex than I thought from both sides. Example, how do you address the need that a person may have to have a monkey as their service animal when the person and the monkey are in the produce section of the grocery store? That is one of the more extreme examples, but the issue is certainly not simple, for airlines, other service providers and employers.