seat 1a

Would not see you in my home puffing a cigar in my living room after dinner
in your finest dark suit - in your socks!!

r415

Indeed. Just because a person's disability is not visibly obvious, does not mean it does not exist, or that they should not be treated the same dignity and accommodation we give to people with obvious disabilities (like blindness or no legs). I'm not sure why someone would have 2 service dogs (multiple disabilities, perhaps?), but I'm ashamed at how easily some people dismiss non-visible disabilities.

I have a friend who is epileptic, and has a pitbull (medically certified as a service dog) who notifies him right before he is about to have an epileptic seizure. This is not quirky pseudoscience, it's medically documented with real instruments. The dog gives him enough warning to get into a safe position for the seizures... otherwise he's in serious danger of hitting his own head on something or falling down if he is in the wrong position, but with the dog he can manage his condition with no trouble. The dog is well-trained, and never barks or poses any danger to anyone.

In general, any medical assistance dog or service dog is extremely well-trained, and not violent or noisy or messy. In contrast, people bring their infants and toddlers on planes all the time, and most of them are much noisier, messier, and more disruptive than any trained service animal. I feel uncomfortable with small children on planes... should the airline ban children?

jbfield

I think I've seen enough people on these boards who'd strongly say "yes" to that question, especially in First.

BLT

I was recently on a flight ABQ-SLC in a CRJ ( no F) with two women each bringing a search and rescue dog (black labs) to a training program somwhere. They had each purchased one seat. The FA moved the women to the bulkhead seats, one on each side of the aisle, with a dog laying at their feet on each side. Luckily the plane was not full or the women would have been seated next to each other in a row with both dogs laying at their feet, which was the original plan. They told me that this is how most of the search and rescue and cadaver dogs travel when they go to advaned training and usually the airline only charges them the usual animal on board fee. Some airlines apparently charge no fee and transport the dogs, not the handlers, as a public service, since they don't use a seat (the dogs not the handlers).

Looking at all of the emails it appears that some of you might believe that these rescue dogs should be driven half way across the country or put below with the cargo when they go for advanced training. Seems to me that these skilled dogs are a better risk on board than a lot of people, and less smelly, too. Although they don't wait until they are in private to clean certain parts of their bodies (the dogs not the handlers). Besides who doesn't love a black lab?

DanTravels

If the dogs in question are (as indicated) a Pitbull and a Rottweiler, I'd say the pax is most likely "compensating" for a shortcoming best not discussed in polite company.

oliver2002

I love black labs and grew with them, but any animal, in particular dogs, are safe when transported in the proper transportation cage/box in the cargo hold that is specifically built for the purpose. You are doing the animal a service by transporting it that way. Imagine turbulence occurs and the improperly secured dog (there is no way to properly secure a large dog in the cabin) flies thru the cabin. Not nice for the animal or the person the 70lb dog lands on. The same applies for pet dogs: the have to stay in the carry on bag that fits under the seat in front of you. BTW, there are proper measures in place to secure infants too.

I've seen rescue dogs being transported (back from duty), they have very nice transport cages that will fit in any cargo hold, even a CRJ. Cargo holds are pressurized and heated the same way as the cabin, so its not like the animal will freeze to death.

mamb0

I donate to a local rescue dog unit, know a lot of handlers, who really all love their dogs so much, but as responsible handlers out of active and passive safety reasons they would never let them fly in the cabin. They have dogs that are trained to travel, know the boxes. There is also one Labrador Retriever who is afraid of the cargo box and being seperated from its handler. They wont go on abroad missions.

Rambuster

Do rescue dogs and their handlers have special priority reservation status like air-crash investigators ? (next flight on any airline guaranteed whatever the booking situation)

BLT

It appears that rescue dog handlers also do not agree on whether dogs should fly in the cabin since the handlers I flew with indicated that flying in the cabin was the usual way they transport their dogs. No wonder we flyer talkers disagree if the experts don't all agree.

Alnola

I do a lot of ADA work and the posters who made mention that not all disabilities are visible are correct; so, absent Mr. 2Dog wearing a sign, there is no way to tell.

I believe that to be accepted on-board as "service animals" the dogs would need to be airline certified to even get past the ticket counter.

We are AA-PLT/Million and almost always travel with our dog as an on-board pet. She is a 6 pound Pekingese and the carrier fits underneath the seat, per regulations. We have never had a negative experience in First or Coach with her, nor have we seen anything negative with other dog travelers. We'll be doing 50+ flight segments this year and the dog was on all but two (not too places to stay in Vegas with dogs).

AA charges an enormous amount of money for on board pets, so passengers who opt to go that way are paying for a service that the airline sells. Like others, I don't particularly enjoy being on baby flights, but the airlines sells them tickets as well.

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

My questions was... 'what's the difference between urine on a dog and someone who has walked barefoot into a lavatory with urine on the floor'?

We have dogs and they don't wallow in stuff. If they did they would smell.

As for the door handles and keypads (and key boards of computers) that is exactly my point... passengers touch all these things and then touch the seat I am in.

I always use a tissue to open the the door handle of the lavatory on exiting (otherwise what's the point in washing my hands?) and i always request a second hot towel (either before take-off or just after) and I do a quick wipe-down of the arm rests, tv control and those small drinks tables. Quite often the towel comes away fairly brown/black. Some airlines are worse than others though.

weero

Obviously anyone who plays the "it's for the safety/kids/national security/rescue" game or is skilled enough to fake a mental condition that makes them need an animal in the cabin manages to extort that entitlement from US carriers.

I just hope that this insanity will not spill here. I see no point to even tolerate seeing eye dogs inside the cabin. It's simply not safe for the other pax, especially not for those with allergies.

TPA us ff

It would seem that the only allergy would be the poster's sad intolerance and disdain for those who travel with disabilities.

Such intolerant comments are probably designed to be more incendiary than helpful...mods time to close this?

oliver2002

This thread has certianly strayed from the original topic. If you want to debate the reasons behind all things PC, there is always OMNI whic has topics like this one:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/omni/...eye-horse.html

Regards Oliver2002
Mod M&M forum