Fake Service Animals Fox Feds and Airlines Alike
Jackie Reddy December 30, 2016
The provision of service animals is unregulated throughout the airline industry, with even U.S. DOT struggling to come to grips with the problem.
They may be cute and fuzzy, but the legitimacy of service and support animals might pose a problem throughout the wider aviation industry.
Many airlines say that the rules for spotting impostor service animals are not hard-and-fast. With medical documentation easily faked and official-looking vests simple to obtain, critics also say that the current system makes it straightforward for passengers to pass their pets off as support animals. While this means that a number of dishonest travelers will dodge hefty fees for pet travel, others within the industry are more concerned that their actions undermine the use of service animals by those who genuinely need them.
Speaking to USA Today, Brian Skewis, executive officer of the California State Board of Guide Dogs for the Blind, said, “I see more violations than legitimate use of service dogs in public.”
Rod Haneline, chief programs and services officer for Leader Dogs for the Blind in Rochester, Michigan, confirmed Skewis’ views, adding, “The law is so ambiguous, the airlines don’t know what side to come down on.”
While it can be hard to spot an impostor, one expert offered insight into how to tell a pet from a support animal. Deb Davis, the community outreach manager for Paws with a Cause of Wayland, near Grand Rapids, Michigan, said that untrained animals often act aggressively, bark or growl in situations where a support animal would remain calm.
But federal guidelines for the certification and identification of service and support animals are hazy. The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) has decreed that, bar a few exotic exceptions, carriers must allow access to all service animals. However, airline staff must evaluate every case on an individual basis.
But even federal attempts to resolve the issue haven’t worked; earlier this year, the U.S. DOT-appointed committee formed to tackle the problem of fraudulent support animals had to be disbanded after its experts couldn’t find a solution to the matter.
Skewis summed up the situation by saying, “Everyone agrees there’s a problem, but no one has a clear-cut solution.”
[Photo: Shutterstock]
A DOT committee couldn't find a solution? I don't buy that argument for a second. They just don't want to be seen as the bad guys. Because really the solution is clear cut. You only allow "verifiable" true service animals to fly on planes. This means creating a database for service pets. If you want to fly with said pet, it must be registered in said database by a medical professional BEFORE flying. And the people who fly with that pet must have documentation in hand as well. Yes this takes time and money to set up, but it's a fair solution. This will take the guessing game away.
"Fox" Feds and Airlines ? Do you mean "vex" or "outfox". This word makes no sense.