Originally Posted by
pushmyredbutton
This was extremely interesting as to the DOT's view on service animals. I do partially worry that those that are currently gaming the system will try to do the same by claiming their dog is a 'service animal' rather than a 'support' animal. I do wonder if there are any penalties to falsely claiming a service animal when your bluff is called and asked for proof. I don't put this kind of behavior past some of the passengers I interact with..
The difference is that many of the fake ESA's are those annoying small dogs. Any agent with a brain knows that is not a service animal, so if the passenger were to try to pass it off as a service animal, check in will be denied.
Submitting the paperwork is only one of two steps that must be done. The second is visual inspection at the check-in counter.
The documentation for ESA's is more stringent than service animals, because it is virtually impossible for an agent to tell if the passenger is a faker or not.
Finally, the 48 hour requirement is perfectly reasonable for 99% of passengers because the vast majority of people do not buy airline tickets at the last minute. For those who do and must bring the animal with them, hopefully Delta can simply move that person's paperwork processing to the head of the queue.