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Emotional Support Animals, Service Dogs and Comfort Pets: The Definitive Thread

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Emotional Support Animals, Service Dogs and Comfort Pets: The Definitive Thread

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Old Jan 31, 2016, 6:05 pm
  #196  
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The wussification of America

I will concede that, after spending 3 hours being subjected to the delicate bouquet of dog flatulence, my attitude right now is a bit biased.

I was in 2B and the delicate soul needing the emotional support animal was in 1A. Meaning... the only place for the animal was at her feet.

This made me curious, so I called DL regarding policies. Indeed, those requiring emotional support are allowed to sit in bulkhead and exit rows... indeed, this is the preferred location for them.

So, if you are in 1A, you are not permitted so much as a bottle of water on the floor in front of you, But, 1B is permit to impede your access to an emergency exit with a 50 lb bulldog, or a miniature horse, or whatever.

And, if you are allergic to whatever creature is involved... enjoy your new seat in coach.

For those of us who have been here a while, our ancestors crossed the continent in Conestoga wagons, enduring months of hardship and deprivation. The consequences of failure included the possibility of leaving their sun-bleached bones along the wagon trail.

But, now, we have timid souls who cannot fly 3 hours in the "lap of luxury" without the support of a foul smelling companion beast.

Flame away.
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Old Jan 31, 2016, 6:10 pm
  #197  
 
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Dog gas is the worst. I feel for you.
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Old Jan 31, 2016, 6:58 pm
  #198  
 
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I'm considering getting a sugar glider as an emotion support pet animal. Then I will be allowed to bring it into the SkyClub?

Originally Posted by DL SkyClub Pet Policy
Pet Policy

Delta Sky Club pet policy mirrors the Pets As Carry On policy outlined on delta.com. Pets permitted in Delta Sky Club include dogs, cats and household birds. Monkeys, rabbits, pot-bellied pigs, reptiles, frogs, mice, rats, sugar gliders and spiders are not permitted. Pets must be at least 8 weeks old and must remain inside the kennel with the door secured at all times.

Below are guidelines for service and emotional support animals.

* Animal must be trained to behave properly in public settings and follow the direction of its owner
* Animals must be clean and under the customer’s control at all times
* No animals are allowed to occupy seats that are designed for passengers
* Animals should not eat or drink from Delta Sky Club service ware
* Animals may not engage in disruptive behavior such as roam freely, barking, growling or biting
* Animal must be placed on the floor while at the food bar
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Old Jan 31, 2016, 7:31 pm
  #199  
 
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How long before someone puts their 5 year old in an animal Halloween costume and plays it off as an emotional support animal to avoid a second ticket?
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Old Jan 31, 2016, 7:36 pm
  #200  
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Originally Posted by puddinhead
How long before someone puts their 5 year old in an animal Halloween costume and plays it off as an emotional support animal to avoid a second ticket?
What about the 6'6" 40 year old 400 pound husband?
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Old Jan 31, 2016, 7:50 pm
  #201  
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Originally Posted by Howste
I'm considering getting a sugar glider as an emotion support pet animal. Then I will be allowed to bring it into the SkyClub?
Nope. Airlines must accommodate emotional support animals on board its airplanes but no law requires that Delta permit emotional support animals in its clubs.

The ADA (the federal law applicable on the ground) contains no mandates requiring recognition of emotional support animals at airport clubs and the ACAA (the federal law applicable on board airplanes) has no applicability on the ground.

As to "unusual" emotional support animals, the DOT has given airlines an out:

In considering whether a service animal should be excluded from the cabin, keep these things in mind:

 Certain unusual service animals (e.g., snakes, other reptiles, ferrets, rodents, and spiders) pose unavoidable safety and/or public health concerns and airlines are not required to transport them.
So no, Delta won't permit someone to bring a sugar glider as an ordinary pet nor as an emotional support animal.
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Old Jan 31, 2016, 8:00 pm
  #202  
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Originally Posted by Howste
I'm considering getting a sugar glider as an emotion support pet animal. Then I will be allowed to bring it into the SkyClub?
SC agents don't seem willing to enforce rules about animals (pets or otherwise), kids, using Skype or playing videos without headphones, etc. so I'm sure your emotional support sugar glider will be fine regardless of how it behaves.
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Old Feb 22, 2016, 3:01 pm
  #203  
 
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Well I presume you've all seen it by now, but...oh lawdy, someone's actually done it. They brought a pig as an ESA.
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Old Feb 22, 2016, 3:12 pm
  #204  
 
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Originally Posted by brocklee9000
Well I presume you've all seen it by now, but...oh lawdy, someone's actually done it. They brought a pig as an ESA.
Here you go... flight to Miami (edit)... This is bordering on absurd. No, actually it is 100% absurd.

http://m.palmbeachpost.com/news/news...t-miami/nqRdC/

Last edited by krlcomm; Feb 22, 2016 at 5:34 pm
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Old Feb 22, 2016, 3:41 pm
  #205  
 
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I am probably the most fervent lover of dogs you will ever meet in your life and I think passing off my dogs as emotional support animals so I can take them on a plane sounds exhausting and annoying. Oh and I used tO have such severe flying anxiety i was in therapy for it. I had never seen an animal on a flight until maybe 2 years ago and my last flight in January I saw 5 on 1 flight from Toronto to Los Angeles including a full sized golden retriever.

Funny story: on one of the flights I noticed someone get on with a barking dog headed for Y while I was in J. It was one of those little sausage dogs and she was carrying it in one of those baby bjorn carriers while the dog gave a low growl with a smattering of yips to all of the passengers. She sat down and I could still hear the dog making a bunch of racket.

About five minutes later I saw a guy carrying a cat in the same type of carrier walk by. As he stops next to me he turns to his flying companion and says "see, this is why dogs are awful. Cats don't make a bunch of noise". Well, of course you can guess what happened. The dog and cat person were forced to sit next to each other while the animals strongly and loudly objected to their seat assignments for the entire 4+ Hr flight. They were about 2/3 back in the plane and I could still hear them. Barking, mewing, hissing, it might have made me mad if it wasn't so damn funny. I kept waiting for them to come rolling down the aisles in a cloud of dust like a couple of cartoon characters.
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Old Feb 22, 2016, 4:34 pm
  #206  
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I thought the bAAcon tasted fresher than normal on my flight yesterday...
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Old Feb 22, 2016, 6:34 pm
  #207  
 
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Originally Posted by krlcomm
Here you go... flight to Miami (edit)... This is bordering on absurd. No, actually it is 100% absurd.

http://m.palmbeachpost.com/news/news...t-miami/nqRdC/
This situation is ironic beyond belief - an anorexic has a pig for an emotional support animal?

I don't see how a 70 pound pig could sit on somebody's lap and not bother the adjacent passenger or passengers.

I guess there are some really nice people left out there. Much too nice to tell the anorexic that she is both skinny and stupid.

David
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Old Feb 22, 2016, 7:07 pm
  #208  
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Originally Posted by DiverDave
This situation is ironic beyond belief - an anorexic has a pig for an emotional support animal?

I don't see how a 70 pound pig could sit on somebody's lap and not bother the adjacent passenger or passengers. David
I do not want to get political but if it were a Muslim or Jew as the adjacent passenger - lordy lordy
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Old Feb 22, 2016, 7:26 pm
  #209  
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Originally Posted by GRALISTAIR
I do not want to get political but if it were a Muslim or Jew as the adjacent passenger - lordy lordy
Do you mean lard-y lard-y? Especially since it was a comfort pig for an anorexic.

This reminds me of when the RNC came to the Twin Cities almost eight years ago and there was concern at that time (why not earlier? don't blind locals who aren't RNC delegates count?) that Muslim airport taxi drivers would refuse to transport seeing eye dogs.
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Old Feb 23, 2016, 5:08 am
  #210  
 
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Originally Posted by cmd320
I thought the bAAcon tasted fresher than normal on my flight yesterday...
Nice.....on a flight to CLT booked online, SHIRLEY.

I confess the ESP has me speechless....
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