dlaue

That's why I (and my taxes) support Amtrak.

My observation is that the dogs are getting larger lately and more frequent around vacation times.

It's an irritating scam and it demeans those with legitimate physical needs for a service animal.

If you are so emotionally unstable to fly without a crutch, then take the train or drive.

steved5480

Ummmmm.....

ohange

When you declare the animal as an emotional support animal, apparently.

Today, flying BNA to EWR, this couple decide to take the
Center and Window of row 1. They also had their dog with them. The FA asked them to put the dog in its carrier but after a short exchange, the lady said she'll just keep the dog on her lap.

I casually reminded the FA that Southwest's policy is that pets remain in their carrier throughout all stages of the flight. He said it's an emotional support animal.

Sorry but I gotta call BS on this one. The passenger's pet carrier nor collar had no special identifying vest or tags (you would think they would make sure people knew this was a ESA not just a regular pet), and if you're going to use an ESA, you carry a letter from your doctor. No such documentation was requested or offered.

Also if it's a working animal, you don't do "pet" like things, like taking selfies with the pet, holding the pet up to the heart wings logo for pictures, and that sort of thing.

I know you can't question someone's disability, but this was one of those cases where it was obviously not legit.

So instead of following the rules, which would have required this pet to be properly crated during the flight, I had dog breath blowing my way for the duration of the flight.

I already witnessed this passenger's companion be asked to remove and discard his smokeless tobacco already.

Just gotta love tourist travel season........

FindAWay

There's more discussion in an existing thread: Emotional Support Animal Policy

bhomburg

Actually, Southwest's ESA policy definitely requires extensive documentation has to be provided. Passengers should not be able to simply go and declare their pet as an ESA and get away with it.
Relevant wording found on the website:
In order for a Customer to travel with an emotional support animal, the Customer must provide to a Southwest Airlines Employee current documentation (not more than one year old) on letterhead from a mental health professional or medical doctor who is treating the Customer's mental health-related disability stating:
- The Passenger has a mental or emotional disability recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition (DSM IV)
- The Passenger needs the emotional support of psychiatric service animal as an accommodation for air travel and/or for activity at the passenger's destination
- The individual providing the assessment is a licensed mental health professional or medical doctor, and the Passenger is under his or her professional care AND
- The date and type of mental health professional's or medical doctor's license and the state or other jurisdiction in which it was issued

and this - which the vast majority of 'pets declared ESAs' definitely are not:

Assistance and emotional support animals must be trained to behave in a public setting.

I'd have had a further word with the FA.

BTW, I do travel with a service animal, and I hate the abuse that's going on as much as everybody else as it makes life for us who depend on our animals harder.

trouble747

Obtaining documentation for an ESA can be done over the internet for a small fee. It's definitely abused.

GalleyWench

It's the gate agents responsibility to check all proper documentation before they board and then the animal is coded accordingly on the manifest. The only time a crew member would challenge it is if there is no documentation at all or if the animal is listed as a pet and they have it out of the carrier.

FWAAA

Apparently, the FA believed them. Row 1? Isn't that a bulkhead? Where would the carrier have been?

Odd that someone traveling with an emotional support animal would bring a carrier with them, but the existence of a carrier does not prove that the animal is not an ESA. It merely proves that the person brought along a pet carrier.

This is nonsense. If you suffered from an emotional or mental disability and obtained the requisite documentation from your doc or mental health professional (thus qualifying you to travel with an ESA), would you then spend money on vests and tags and signs so that everyone who saw you would know that you suffer from an emotional or mental disability? I wouldn't. I'd just sit with my dog or cat on my lap. And if some nosy Gladys Kravitz-types began to interrogate me about it - I'd simply smile and respond with, "yes, this is Fluffy, my cat" (or "this is Fido, my dog").

As for the documentation, how do you know? You have no evidence that the documentation was not requested or offered, unless you watched them check-in when the documentation would have been requested and provided. The FA was knowledgeable enough not to ask the passengers "for their papers," when it would have already been provided when they checked in.

Emotional support animals are not "working animals," they're pets, and thus "pet-like" activities prove nothing.

Perhaps you're right, but fortunately, the federal regulations don't deputize fellow passengers as junior detectives to try to root out the fraudsters.

Oh, the humanity . . .

I'd rather sit next to doggie-breath than snuff-using (and spitting) kettles.

rsteinmetz70112

There is no requirement that support animals be registered, or identified by tags vests or any other method. Some people apparently believe that if you buy a "kit" and register with one of the various online registries that is worth something. It's not. But many (maybe all) of the registries are fronts (or referral shops) for "medical professionals" who with crank out a letter for a small "consultation" fee.

steved5480

This. Any and every day.

kc4601

This service animal scam needs to be stopped. Animals don't belong on a passenger plane.

FWAAA

Like I said earlier, notify your Representative and Senators. I'm certain they'll get right on it.

What about the blind? Would you deny their seeing-eye-dogs? Or is it just some dogs that get your dander up?

kc4601

No just the PTSD Chinchilla and the ADHD Pythons at this time.

You know that there are legit service animals and then there are "emotional comfort" dodges for lazy self entitled scammers, right!

steveh552

The "comfort" dogs are the issue. If someone cannot travel without an animal due to their "issues" maybe they need medicated. Those getting on a plane should not be subjected to those using the system to take their animal on vacation with them or what not because they are to cheap to put the animal in boarding.

trouble747

Is that an irrational distinction? Service animals are allowed (and accepted by most) in places pets are not. The blurring of that line is a fairly recent phenomenon.

I sympathize with individuals who feel they require a pet with them to go out in public or travel, but I think the standards are too loose and they're prone to abuse.

Personally, I'm of the opinion that animals should generally be forbidden in the cabin of an airplane and one should have a serious disability or medical condition to qualify for a limited exception to that rule. Obviously this isn't the prevailing view.

Unfortunately, accommodations for disability are often abused.