U.S. Department of Transportation Seeks Comment on Proposed Amendments to Regulation of Service Animals on Flights
The DOT proposal would allow airlines to ban all
emotional support animals if they choose.
It would require that airlines allow on board only
trained service animals, to be defined as dogs that have received individualized training to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. For example, a seeing eye dog who accompanies blind passenger.
Trained psychiatric service animals would be included, however emotional support animals would not.
Obviously, this proposed change is controversial.
I tend to support the change, having seen a proliferation of pets traveling on board posing as emotional support animals. While I do realize and respect that some passengers require an emotional support animal, I'm hopeful that consideration will be made in the classification of trained psychiatric service animal to accommodate those with legitimate needs and appropriate documentation.
Members of the public have 60 days to comment on the proposed rules.