The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it.
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday at noon.
Today’s question:
Federal regulations allow a legitimate emotional support animal, whether it be a dog, a cat, a pot-bellied pig or even a miniature horse in one case, to travel on airplanes in the cabin with the owner, outside of a carrier, and for free if the owner has proper documentation.
Do you believe emotional support animals should be allowed to fly on planes, in the cabin, with the owner(s)?
Talk about it.
48 comments
What a joke, it’s a skam. Just a way to get attention from others and free travel for their pets.
No. If you have emotional problems you should not be flying. An animal cannot help in emergencies. Bring a friend or family member if you must fly.
This is getting ridiculous and out of control everywhere.
Nobody should rely on a pet for their mental problems, it’s not fair to the animal.
What about those with animal allergies?
Like Aunt Barbara said.
@ Aunt Barbara
Good Point!,…I had thought about stressing the animal and or others with allergies. Myself,…do not like flying, but with my Hubby or Friend it works out great.
No, they both should fly in the cargo bay. There is no legally established emotional support pets. Service animals are highly trained to perform specific tasks. One can buy phony esp certificates online and bibs on Amazon.
Go get an emotional support bottle of booze.
Doh you are right. Have a drink and chill.
Sure, a service animal is much better seat company than most of the people travelling these days.
No
Nooooooooo! Absolutely not. Same people who bring their pets to the grocery store, shopping mall and restaurants. Keep your pets at home or the park. Pets owners have this sense of entitlement. Get over it plz.
@TraumaRx I feel the same way about small children! Leave them at home or take them to the kids section of the park! And don’t get me started on having to sit next to a little kid on an airplane! Ninth circle oh hell. SMH
No. Pop a Xanax and put on some headphones playing beach sounds – you’ll be fine for the flight. Put the “service animals” below where they belong.
…and can we please get our peanuts back!
I read about an emotional support peacock that boarded a plane with their owner. With that example, I couldn’t help but wonder about passengers on the plane who are afraid of birds. I know a good amount of people who don’t like birds, let alone flying, so if they’re on a plane facing one fear (only to be met with another), is it right to potentially cause others distress? I understand animals being helpful in times of stress, I have two cats that really help my anxiety, but I know I’d be stressing them out if I put them in a carrier and took them on a plane for my own benefit. And then to think of the people around me who might be allergic. I think there is a place for emotional support animals, and it’s mainly at home or somewhere private. Service animals are an entirely different story.
Emotional support animals are not the same as a trained service animal that knows how to behave in public and around strange people. Some people with so-called emotional support animals abuse the system and a document or certificate is meaningless since anybody can print one out on their computer.
Some people are allergic to certain animals, so if for no other reason, emotional support animals should not be allowed in the same area as the passengers. And what about that one passenger that is deathly afraid of dogs? What about their emotional well being when being forced to sit next to one?
The purpose of an emotional support animal is to provide comfort, companionship, and a sense of ease for those suffering from depression, PTSD, and anxiety. These animals are not professionally trained and consequently may cause harm to an other person or property.
It’s the latest fad in the country, me, me, me. It’s all about me and I don’t care if I upset other people with my selfish behavior. Unfortunately, that attitude ruins it for the few who legitimately need an animal for emotional comfort.
Agree
Only if they are emotional support golden eagles and if there are enough to carry the plane should there be mechanical difficulties.
It shows how stupid the world is becoming. Will not be long before snowflakes take over everything.
amen
If I put a leash on the neck of a Bottle of Maker’s, can I claim it’s my emotional support????
Only in First Class.
NO.
And the reasons given by previous commenters are excellent!
In addition to those points, in case of an evacuation emergency, animals trip up passengers, won’t slide down the chute, etc..
(For frame of reference, my husband is a retired commercial airline captain … Pan Am and then United…, and one of our daughters currently flies as a First Flight Attendant for American. They both concur with the opinions others have given above. One exception would be official guidedogs for the blind; they would move with their masters and would be more prepared to obey if someone had to command “Jump!!!”.
I believe ADA service animals are allowed, but not emotional support animals. So, no, I don’t think emotional support animals should be allowed; loneliness is not a disability.
Unacceptable! If you can’t last 3-5 hours without your emotional support animal how the heck are you going to deal with it when they die?
Upon boarding each passenger should be given a handful of Xanax and a cocktail LOL
OK. Someone has to stand up for emotional support animals.
But it’s not going to be me.
What about my emotional support Glock 19??
You mean I can’t board with my emotional support boa constrictor?
100%
No.
A miniature horse no less. Did you see the video?
The most recent revisions to the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) removed emotional support animals from the definition of a service animal. Emotional Support Animals are not allowed to access public accommodations (e.g., stores, restaurants, hotels, etc.). The revised ADA also redefined a service animal as a “dog” (with one rarely used exception).
Airline regulations covering service dogs and emotional support animals on commercial airline travel are written both by the FDA and NTSB. They are historic and some clauses conflict with each other (its a mess).
A service dog from a legitimate organization that is accredited by Assistance Dogs International (the governing body) are highly trained and have skills to mitigate a person with a disability (as long as the disability is qualifies under the Americans with Disabilities Act).
A highly trained service dog is also trained how to evacuate an aircraft, wear a mask in the case of decompression, etc. Emotional Support Animals do not require any training.
The regulations are currently being reviewed and updated to align with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Most doctors and mental health personnel are no longer signing letters for people wanting to travel with their emotional support animal because of liability.
There are several cases pending against airlines, airports, and health professional for allowing emotional support animals on a flight who then injure another passenger or significantly disrupt a flight. The airports are being sued for allowing emotional support animals into the airport (no law or regulation allows emotional support animals access in an airport).
It became complicated when so many people thought they could call their dog an emotional support animal or use their dog as a service dog. Fortunately, California does have penal codes against such fraud and these cases are being prosecuted.
I’ve learned a few things over the years working in such cases as an expert witness, prosecutor and judicial training, etc. Like so many things in life, people who think they can get away with something will do it, and it only harms the people who have legitimate disabilities…let alone their lack of integrity, ethics, etc.
As someone who loves animals but has severe allergies I would vote NO.
If you cannot bear to be on a plane without your animal you should probably find alternate transportation- it’s not fair to the other passengers or to your animal.
Never check an animal into the cargo bay. If it survives, it will never be the same. It will need it’s own emotional support animal. If it does not survive the airline will pay you by the pound, like hamburger meat. I’ve sold hundreds of thousands of airline tickets and back then an animal in the cabin had to be in an approved carrier it could turn around in, it had to fit under the seat in front of you, and could never come out of the carrier. It had to have a reservation, and only one animal per flight could travel in the cabin. I think it’s absolutely absurd that loose animals are allowed in commercial airplane cabins these days, though I’m sure most are very well behaved. It just sounds like a safety hazard in the making for the animals and other passengers. As others have said, hire a sitter and take a Xanax or stay home.
I agree. You’re better off driving with your animal in tow than flying with it in the cargo hold, which is not heated or air conditioned. Horrible conditions for the animal without water available, perhaps for hours depending on the flight and how long the plane sits on the tarmac. Additionally, crates frequently become damaged during loading and unloading allowing the animal to escape when the cargo hold is opened. The cargo hold just does not provide the sort of conditions you would choose for a beloved pet.
200,000 years of human evolution brought us to where we all need a teddy bear. Sigh!!
I don’t fly so I shouldn’t really have an opinion. But what about all the other passengers who might have sever allergies to animals or birds? What about the ones who are afraid of some animals?
Read the Americans with Disabilities Act. You’ll find that a “service animal” (typically a dog) is one specially trained to assist a person with a disability. The need for emotional support is specifically defined as NOT a disability. There are some caveats about other uses for “assistance animals”, but allowing any waivers for an animal on crowded, stressful flights is asking for trouble. I plan to check with the airline I use in the future to see what their policy is, and will fly another if they’re too lenient.
Psychiatric support animals, yes because they are rigorously trained to behave and perform specific tasks. Emotional support animals, though, aren’t held to the same standard.and too many people are abusing the system with poorly trained animals. Too many so-called emotional support animals are yappy dogs that cause more anxiety.The people who abuse the system just make life harder for people who need the assistance of psychiatric support animals.
And when I bring my emotional support pistol onboard an airplane it’s frowned upon and “illegal”. I should have the option to feel safe and secure with my emotional support Glock just like the guy next to me with his emotional support pit bull.
Sure but only if I can sue the airline or get a free free first class flights if I get bit, suffer an allergy attack from pet dandruff or suffer any emotional distress from my phobia of animals, vomit, the smell from pee or poop.
Fair is Fare…
Scammers…ala medical marijuana cards…handicapped placards…welfare…pandhandling…American Indian heritage…
Good comments from DogGuru. I flew last weekend with a very physically fit man and his 80 lb. pit bull on the floor next to him. What a joke.
Service Animal facts : First of all service dogs are NOT pets they are considered working animals so when you see NO PETS ALLOWED doesn’t apply to a service animal. There is a huge difference between Emotional and Service. Service dogs are “individually Trained” to perform work or tasks for people with disabilities, does not say professionally trained at a service dog center nor does it say anything about registrations, certificates, documentation etc. Here’s my favorite……..Allergies and fear of dogs are not valid reasons to deny access to an individual utilizing a service dog. To the person who mentioned the ” very fit” guy and his pit bull, you don’t know what goes on with that person, not all disabilities are visible so quick to judge maybe you need the xanax. I am very well versed in the ADA and 99% of the comments made here by people are embarrassing, misinformed and flat out ignorant. Do yourself a favor and go read the ADA laws….Bet most of you won’t
Oh you mean like that teenage girl who was refused boarding aan airplane with her emotional support hamster? So she flushes it down the toilet, and then sues the airline for emotional distress. No, take an emotional support pill and wash it down with your emotional support cocktail and you’ll be fine.
I fly way to much to see this as anything other than the utter BS it is. And this one sits right on top of Liberals. Yeah I said it. If you can’t strap yourself in to a seat and hold your sh*t together without dragging some poor animal around with you, inflicting your dysfunction on everyone else then honestly, you probably shouldn’t remain in the gene pool anyway. It’s selfish and should be banned across the board. This one pisses me off more than passing lane campers.
It’s the Me Me generation. Look at me and my cute doggie wearing a bandanna.
If an airline allows animals on a plane, a passenger with certain allergies should be notified before hand and be able to cancel their reservation at any time with no cost to rebook.
Gone at the days when men would wear ties and women wearing dresses while flying.
Suits and dresses and children who behaved and no animals. And language that was civilized and polite.
Also gone is zero security and smoking everywhere, including on the airplanes.
The past and present both present the good. The bad. And the ugly. Take your pick. Choose wisely.
Absolutely yes.
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