Airlines consider limits on what is considered a support animal

[Kilgore]

A woman once brought a 50-70 pound pig on a U.S. Airways flight in 2014. She gave the pig its own seat and tethered it to the armrest, but people on the flight complained so much flight attendants asked her to deplane.

Last year, a woman was kicked out of a McDonald’s in Wisconsin when someone called police about her bringing a baby kangaroo into the fast-food restaurant.

Earlier this year, a woman brought a turkey on her Delta flight she was taking to spread her husband’s ashes. Unlike the others, she was accommodated and not asked to leave.

In each of those cases, the owners of the animals claimed they were emotional support animals, or ESAs, and were a necessary presence for the owner’s mental health. There aren’t a lot of limitations on what constitutes an ESA — most species besides snakes, other reptiles and rodents are allowed — and in order to bring the animals on a flight all you need is a doctor’s note.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article103695172.html#storylink=cpy

[cagefreesoylentgreen]

1. As someone who works in an airport

I see so many people abuse the therapy animal rules, and I've overheard them recommending buying fake "therapy pet" vests on eBay and elsewhere. They're taking away resources from people genuinely in need and we're not allowed to question whether or not that therapy animal is "legit" or not.

[Moostache]

3. Still trying to get my head around the therapy turkey...

WTF is THAT?!?!?

People are weird, panicky animals that left to their own devices will self-implode in days without social structure.

Therapy Turkeys?
Guess these guys did not qualify?

[underahedgerow]

21. OMG thank you!!! I TOTALLY FORGOT about Palin and the Unfortunate Turkey Incident.

Truly one of the best laughs I've ever had in my whole life.

[frazzled]

4. I sure hope they do

It seems to me a widespread scam. While I am sensitive to issues of mental health, I am strongly skeptical that anyone beyond a minuscule percentage of one percent actually "needs" a pet in order to fly. Lots and lots of people have fear-of-flying issues. There are ways of learning to deal with that. But making the rest of the people on the plane uncomfortable or crazy is not one of them.

[msongs]

5. "comfort" animals are just a scam so people can drag their pets everywhere nt

[Nye Bevan]

6. You can take away my emotional support llama

when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.

[A HERETIC I AM]

11. When you see a Llama you shout...

"CUIDADO! LLAMAS!!"

[geek tragedy]

7. I have had it with these motherfucking support animals on this motherfucking plane! nt

[kairos12]

12. Mr. Jackson at his Mfing best.

[mainer]

8. How on earth do you buy a pet kangaroo in Wisconsin?

Didn't know it was possible.

[LeftInTX]

10. A baby kangaroo was stolen from it's mother's pouch in Wisconsin

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

9. Genuine support animals are well trained

and a joy to have around.

I know a woman with a support dog (her current dog is at least her second one that I know of) and while I'm not privy to exactly why she needs this dog, he is, and his predecessor was, completely awesome. Plus, when this current dog was new, she was very firm with her training of him, so that he'd behave, be the support companion she needed, and be welcome everywhere.

[csziggy]

13. True - and the fake ones are often not trained at all

A niece of mine - who has genuine mental problems but who claims all kinds of bogus illnesses - has had several "service" dogs supposedly to help her cope, at least that is what she claims. Not one has been trained at all.They poop where ever and when ever they want, they bark uncontrollably and two had to be destroyed because they bit so often and so viciously. But she just gets another untrained small dog and carries it every where with her without making any effort to train it.

She hasn't been evaluated by a reputable professional for her problems since her father had her involuntarily committed as a teenager for attacking her siblings with a knife. Unfortunately her mother (my sister) got her out before the evaluation was completed and has taken her to every variety of quack out there. Her claim of having a "service dog" is completely made up with no professional recommendation.

Those kind of bogus "service" animals give a bad reputation to the legitimate ones and make it difficult for the people who really need the help. I think there should penalties just as there are for able bodied people who park in handicapped spaces!

[Saphire]

16. My husband has a therapy dog, he goes almost

everywhere we do. He rescued my husband 3 years ago, and i don't know where we would be without him.

[Yo_Mama]

14. Well, the only animals not being certified as "support" are giraffes at this point.

They are going to have to do something.

[Heeeeers Johnny]

17. Doable, but first you must have opulence

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[alarimer]

15. So no therapy oysters?

Or are they okay? After all, they don't move or make noise. But they might smell after a bit.

http://www.theonion.com/article/hospital-comforts-patients-with-new-therapy-oyster-36659

[milestogo]

18. I sat next to someone on the plane who had a puppy which she called a "therapy dog"

It was incredibly cute and squirmy and friendly and did not sit quietly on her lap. No problem for me, as I love dogs. But honestly, it was way too young and untrained to actually be used as a certified therapy dog.

So maybe all you have to do is buy the doggie vest and call it a therapy dog?

[spiderpig]

19. I got out of the airline business 20 years ago, when I couldn't take it anymore

but carry-on pets were charged the same as checked animals, which at the time was $25 one way.

I once had a very sweet lady checking in with her cat. I advised her there was a $25 charge for her pet. She was deaf, and we communicated in writing. She wrote "But it's a hearing cat". Of course I didn't charge her!

I wonder how many people pulling this stuff nowadays are trying to avoid a pet service charge.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

20. Nobody is going to separate me from my emotional support capybara

The Americans with Disabilities Act must be updated to accommodate us.

[Glassunion]

22. Fake therapy or service animals are one of my huge peeves.

It annoys me to no end.

I'm horribly allergic to dogs in particular. I have zero issues moving away from the dog or leaving the establishment if someone comes in with one. But in the past few years I am amazed at the volume of folks in need of service animals. I'm also amazed at how someone can spend upwards of 7 thousand dollars for such a poorly disciplined animal (/sarcasm). But my peeve is not my allergies. It is that I find myself very skeptical every time I see one. For $23.95 on Amazon, you can wrap your pet in an "ESA" vest, and take it anywhere. A properly trained dog performs a priceless service for someone in need, getting a vest for Scraps so he go to the Olive Garden with you is bullshit. I know that I'm not alone in my skepticism, and this does nothing to help those with disabilities.