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S/O plane meltdown - animals in cabin?


luuknam
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You don't see the discrimination against people with mental health disabilities with these quotes:
 

I can't imagine anything worse.  If I'm stuck next to someone with a cat, there are going to be major issues.  Sorry, my right to breathe trumps your right to hold some animal.  Get a stuffed animal. 

 

 

I want a house on the beach.  So what?  I don't care what they want if it impacts the breathing of others. 
 

 

 

Or disallow animals (exception: actual service dogs) , as we have disallowed smoking.  That's even more simple. 

 

 

Me too.  That would end up in a medical situation, all because some person can't leave Fluffy home. 
 

 

 

LOL! I agree with you right up to service animals--and I am NOT referring to the pseudo-service animals that are all over the place right now. I mean genuine disability dogs.

 

I was on a flight with my kids (they were little) and there were 3 service dogs on the flight. Two were guide dogs for the blind and the other was a mobility dog (I think the lady had CP). One dude threw a fit at the gate counter. For various reasons, including he was allergic, he couldn't be on a flight with a dog and he demanded that they be put on a different flight. It didn't happen and the dude gripped and complained the entire 4-hour flight. 

 

Kris

 

 

Right.  Everyone and his brother is trying to pass off a pet these days as an "emotional support animal" to get around fees in housing and all kinds of restrictions everywhere.  So over it.

Normally, they are dogs, so at least I am not forced to stop breathing in their presence. 

 

I hope the guy didn't have to sit next to the three dogs.  I understand that they want to go places but allergies are just too life-threatening to be ignored. 

 

An emotional support animal is not somebody's "fluffy" or "stuffed animal." And people with mental health disabilities are not trying to "get around" fees and restrictions. It is federal law, and it is about time that there is mental health parity in treatment, accommodations, etc. Why the immediate assumption that people can just "get over it" or are trying to work the system? We would never think to say such things to someone who was blind. Is that because we don't believe that mental health conditions can be just as disabling, that they are not real health conditions? 

 

It's discrimination, through and through.

 

 

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I don't think it's "disability discrimination" to say that because many people have asthma and can have life threatening asthma attacks triggered by pets in the cabin...pets shouldn't be in the cabin.  Allergies to pets can be as fast and deadly as allergies to nuts.  I think it only makes sense to treat pet allergies in the same way we treat nut allergies on planes, which is to remove the allergens (and if there are airlines that haven't removed peanuts from their flights, I think they should.)  To me, it's not about being "inconvenienced" by having sniffly noses, sneezing, itchy swollen eyes....it's about life or death. 

 

To be clear, I have't heard of many people having asthma attacks on airplanes due to animals in the cabin.  Of course, I haven't heard of many folks having anaphyactic reactions to nuts on planes either.  I just think that both should be treated the same, and since we are removing nuts from schools and planes "just in case" pets should be treated as the same sort of allergen. 

 

I have asthma and severe allergies. Have been hospitalized for it, used to carry an Epi-Pen, etc. It's not that I am unsympathetic to people with allergies, and I am not opposed to designated pet free flights if there is sufficient public demand for it.

 

But, even with asthma and a severe cat allergy, I have never been inconvenienced by a pet aboard (and I used to fly 100K miles/year for my job for several years). If a cat was sitting next to me, I would ask the flight attendant to move me. But, 50 feet away? Come on. I'd love to see the percent of people who are affected by an animal 50 feet away. And how about the number who are fine if they pop a Benedryl or Zyrtec beforehand, if it is so severe. I assure you that it is a much smaller percentage of people than the number of people who rely on service animals.

Edited by SeaConquest
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Pets are so weird already. Insisting they be in the cabin with you on a flight is so super bizarre.

 

I guess I'm super bizarre, then.  ;) My previous dog flew in-cabin with me about 80 times, I think. There's no way I'd put a small dog in the cargo hold. I've read too many stories about people's pets escaping from their crates on the tarmarc and taking off in panic, never to be seen again.  :( And as Katie said, pressure and temperature changes in the hold can be deadly. On Delta alone, 74 animals died in the past decade, and they've now banned animals in their cargo holds. Here's a good article with lots of interesting stats. For example:

 

In 2011, thirty-five pets died while (or shortly before or after) traveling on commercial flights with U.S. airline companies. Nine animals were injured and two lost entirely. And in 2012, 29 pets died, 26 were injured and one was lost. These numbers should be considered in context; the U.S. Department of Transportation says that two million animals travel on commercial flights each year.

 

I don't think pet caretaking is especially weird. Ideally, it's a mutually beneficial relationship.  :)

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Hey, why not start putting kids in the cargo hold??? In a nice little crate with sippy cups.....  The older ones could have a little screen with movies down there & then nobody would worry if they're screaming or not. 

 

Parents are so weird insisting they be in the cabin with you.

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I am flying a lot, yearly overseas for 20 years, and have never encountered a noisy animal on an airplane.

Maybe some people brought small animals on board - but they were not noticeable.

Noisy children OTOH, yes, and there is no way to pick a flight to avoid those ;)

 

I agree. I've flown many, many times and I can't remember an animal ever making any significant noise. Maybe once there were a couple barks? I can't recall, but there was definitely never any non-stop barking or meowing. My own dog was always quiet as a mouse. :001_smile: I wish I could say the same about the children on all those flights.  :leaving:

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You don't think it'd be weird if you saw some other kind of ape in the wild keeping some other animal just because? :-D

Edited by OKBud
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 Having said that, I don't think I have ever been on a flight with a pet in the cabin. 

 

I'd be surprised if you haven't, actually. On the airline I usually used, only two animals were allowed in the main cabin (plus two in first class, I think). Very often when I called to make reservations, one of the pet spots was already taken. 

 

I'm guessing 99% of the people on my flights never knew my dog was there. He was quiet and his carry-on bag looked similar to any other bag. I told the people sitting next to me that I had a dog, so they wouldn't be startled if the bag suddenly moved.  :) No one ever asked to be moved away from us. I always bathed him before traveling, so he would be unlikely to cause allergic reactions.

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Hey, why not start putting kids in the cargo hold??? In a nice little crate with sippy cups..... The older ones could have a little screen with movies down there & then nobody would worry if they're screaming or not.

 

Parents are so weird insisting they be in the cabin with you.

I accidentally insinuated that some groups of people == animals once on here, and apologized orofusely. So I'm sure you did it on accident, too. Edited by OKBud
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I don't think it's "disability discrimination" to say that because many people have asthma and can have life threatening asthma attacks triggered by pets in the cabin...pets shouldn't be in the cabin.  Allergies to pets can be as fast and deadly as allergies to nuts.  I think it only makes sense to treat pet allergies in the same way we treat nut allergies on planes, which is to remove the allergens (and if there are airlines that haven't removed peanuts from their flights, I think they should.)  To me, it's not about being "inconvenienced" by having sniffly noses, sneezing, itchy swollen eyes....it's about life or death. 

 

To be clear, I have't heard of many people having asthma attacks on airplanes due to animals in the cabin.  Of course, I haven't heard of many folks having anaphyactic reactions to nuts on planes either.  I just think that both should be treated the same, and since we are removing nuts from schools and planes "just in case" pets should be treated as the same sort of allergen. 

 

Southwest serves peanuts on nearly every flight. I think maybe twice in the last 10 years I've been on a SW flight when they announced there was a passenger with a peanut allergy on board and they would not be serving peanuts. I flew Delta a few weeks ago and they served peanuts, too.

 

I just looked up various airline policies regarding allergens, and it seems that most airlines state that they cannot guarantee an allergen-free flight, but will do their best if given advance notice. Several stated that passengers who are allergic to animals should alert airline staff at check-in, so they can be seated away from any pets or service animals on board. That seems more reasonable to me that banning all animals (which I don't think would be legal anyway, given the rights of people to have their service animals with them).

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You don't think it'd be weird if you saw some other kind of ape in the wild keeping some other animal just because? :-D

 

No, I really don't. Captive primates like Koko and Tonda have kept kittens as much beloved pets. And have you read about Tarra the elephant and her best friend Bella the dog?

Edited by MercyA
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Ok, so please don't quote this post, my oldest is 20, and adult and I don't share much about her medical stuff online as a result, so I will probably delete this part.

 

My kid was sent to the ER, by ambulace, more than once, because of her allergies triggering asthma attacks.  Her asthma diagnosis is new, diagnosed after she turned 18.  It's not well controlled at all, she's currently testing out her second controller med and her third rescue inhaler med, trying to figure out what works for her.  Her attacks have been triggered by a number of issues including animal allergies and allergies to perfumes-and I feel perfumes should be banned on flights also.  Simply "popping a benedryl or Zyrtrec" won't prevent a severe attack, and so far she hasn't found a rescue inhaler that works very well for her. 

 

So, to me it's not just "allergies."  It's as life threatening as anaphylaxis.  Perhaps more so, since, if I am reading the CDC stats correctly, asthma attacks kill more than nut allergies each year.  Asthma might be common and there might be a million meds out there, but that doesn't mean it isn't something to take very seriously. 

 

That is scary! I am wondering though, would a pet in a carrier, under the seat, in the front of the plane, trigger an asthma attack if your daughter was in the rear of the plane, no where near the pet? Keeping in mind it is in the carrier the whole time. Curious, not being snarky. 

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Well yes humans are singularly adept at taking animals out of their natural habitat and making them act like us, for our entertainment.

 

I can't argue with that and wholeheartedly agree that wild animals shouldn't be taken from the wild.

 

However, Koko wasn't given a kitten until she was 12 and had personally asked for one, repeatedly. It wasn't for anyone's entertainment, but for her benefit, as she wasn't able to have a baby.

 

I don't know as much about Tonda the orangutan and TK the cat, who both lived at a zoo. 

 

Tarra the elephant lives at a sanctuary opposed to using animals for entertainment. It is NOT open to the public. Bella was a stray dog and it was entirely Tarra's personal choice to befriend her.

 

ETA: Hey! I'm over 3,000 posts! Whoot!

 

Edited again: Okay, so I googled Tonda and TK:

 

"When 45-year-old Tondalayo, a Sumatran orangutan, lost her partner, she was listless and depressed, Turner says. She needed company but, because of her age, introducing another orang was out of the question.

 

Then zoo worker Stephanie Willard got an idea for the perfect mate for Tonda.

 

"'TK' came to us and we found out very quickly that his personality was one that was very demanding, very loving, very understanding, and ... he was a big, rag-doll kitty," Willard said of a 1-year-old tabby who turned out to be the cat's meow for Tonda. "He's a very sweet cat. He's absolutely a perfect cat. He doesn't seem to grow out of his kitten stage. He still licks and rubs and purrs and loves all over her. ... I think it made (Tonda) 20 years younger.

 

"I think it's more of a maternal thing with (Tonda). It's kind of like the most overprotective, overbearing mother there is."

Edited by MercyA
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So it is made clear that there are animal-free flights?  I've never seen that before. 

 

I think the one creating the problem has the burden, not the victim.   If there are special animal flights, that's fine, so long as you know what you are signing up for. 

 

And this is why we have the ADA laws. 

 

"Allergies and fear of dogs are not valid reasons for denying access or refusing service to people using service animals. When a person who is allergic to dog dander and a person who uses a service animal must spend time in the same room or facility, for example, in a school classroom or at a homeless shelter, they both should be accommodated by assigning them, if possible, to different locations within the room or different rooms in the facility."

 

https://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm

 

A person needing a service animal isn't creating a problem.

 

Kris

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My dd18's good friend flew on Southwest last summer.  She was traveling alone to college.  She was surprised to find a large dog sitting in the seat right next to her.  Not a little fluffy dog, but a large black lab type dog.  No carrier, no seat belt, no owner.  She never saw the owner, and the attendants didn't warn her or apologize or ask her if she wanted to move or anything.  It was such a funny story!!  The dog was quiet and sat through the flight, and inched closer and closer to her, he ended up basically sitting on her lap and drooling on her.  She didn't see anyone come to walk the dog off the flight, and never knew what was going on.  

 

I've never heard of anything like that before.  So strange!!

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Non-pet owner here which leads to this question.

 

I have regularly seen small animals on flights and the occasional service dog. Last June when I flew into Phoenix, I saw a guy with a medium sized dog that was not in a carrier. The poor animal did not make it outside and relieved itself on the carpet next to a trash can in the terminal.

 

Are there some disposable pads that pet owners use on their travels?  I felt very sorry for the custodial staff. I know that airports have pet areas but obviously this pet owner did not know where it was or the poor animal simply could not handle the distance to it.

 

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Animal free cabins would be a nice option, I don't think I've seen those on AlaskaAir but I'd be all for a fragrance free, but free, animal free cabin that just involved washed humans and their baggage. One could dream :)

 

If we're dreaming, how about an infant and toddler free cabin?  :)

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Non-pet owner here which leads to this question.

 

I have regularly seen small animals on flights and the occasional service dog. Last June when I flew into Phoenix, I saw a guy with a medium sized dog that was not in a carrier. The poor animal did not make it outside and relieved itself on the carpet next to a trash can in the terminal.

 

Are there some disposable pads that pet owners use on their travels?  I felt very sorry for the custodial staff. I know that airports have pet areas but obviously this pet owner did not know where it was or the poor animal simply could not handle the distance to it.

 

Most adult dogs can go at least five or six hours without needing to relieve themselves. My dog never had any problem waiting until we could take him outside after we landed. However, I was religious about scheduling time to take him outside before the flight and during layovers. (Only once, I think, did I not have time to run him outside.)  

 

If I was flying internationally, I would either try to fly at night or train the dog to piddle pads and take her to the restroom. 

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If we're dreaming, how about an infant and toddler free cabin? :)

Some carriers have proposed that in the past. That's a little different than a medical allergy, even with someone sensitive to noise. For the record, and I'm probably jinxing myself, in multiple flights over the last decade I have NEVER had one of my kids scream for the whole flight, or even part of it, except one time at the tail end of a six hour flight where a drunk ADULT startled awake my sleeping toddler and the kid was so out of it that they pitifully cried the entire descent (about fifteen to twenty minutes, not overly loud).

 

I nearly decked that guy.

 

Most people sitting by me don't even realize I have a baby or toddler along and say as much.

 

I didn't used to like flights with kids, especially screaming kids, but ear plugs and headphones are such a help.

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So, to me it's not just "allergies."  It's as life threatening as anaphylaxis.  Perhaps more so, since, if I am reading the CDC stats correctly, asthma attacks kill more than nut allergies each year.  Asthma might be common and there might be a million meds out there, but that doesn't mean it isn't something to take very seriously. 

 

I apologize if I was dismissive because I really truly understand how frightening it can be. I used to play fast and loose with my asthma when I was younger, landing in the hospital on a number of occasions, and one allergist warned me that I was going to end up dead. My asthma was not well controlled, and I was relying on rescue inhalers that often failed under certain circumstances. So, I get it, and I hope that your DD can get her asthma under control. Thankfully, we have a plethora of meds now to help with doing so.

 

But, even given the severity of my asthma and allergies, I have never had an issue on board. If kitty was sitting in my row, and on someone's lap, perhaps it could cause an issue. But, on the other side of a plane, in a bag under the seat? Not saying it isn't possible, but It's never happened to me. And I've never seen it happen to anyone else, in over 500,000 air miles. Remember: it's not cat/dog fur that is the problem, it is cat/dog saliva, urine, and dander (dried flakes of skin) -- all of which are highly unlikely to reach a person on the other side of a plane, with an animal stowed properly in a bag under the seat. So, I just don't think that banning animals is warranted, under those circumstances. 

Edited by SeaConquest
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I really truly understand how frightening it can be. I used to play fast and loose with my asthma when I was younger, landing in the hospital on a number of occasions, and one allergist warned me that I was going to end up dead. My asthma was not well controlled, and I was relying on rescue inhalers that often failed under certain circumstances. So, I get it, and I hope that your DD can get her asthma under control. Thankfully, we have a plethora of meds now to help with doing so.

 

But, even given the severity of my asthma and allergies, I have never had an issue on board. If kitty was sitting in my row, and on someone's lap, perhaps it could cause an issue. But, on the other side of a plane, in a bag under the seat? Not saying it isn't possible, but It's never happened to me. And I've never seen it happen to anyone else, in over 500,000 air miles. Remember: it's not cat/dog fur that is the problem, it is cat/dog saliva, urine, and dander (dried flakes of skin) -- all of which are highly unlikely to reach a person on the other side of a plane, with an animal stowed properly in a bag under the seat. So, I just don't think that banning animals is warranted, under those circumstances. 

 

This leads to another question.  Are pet owners supposed to keep their pets in their containers?  Usually pets are in containers on the plane but I have seen a couple people walk their pets down the jetway on a leash or let the animal's head stick out of a soft container (unzipping the flap for this).  This does seem potentially problematic.

 

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And this is why we have the ADA laws.

 

"Allergies and fear of dogs are not valid reasons for denying access or refusing service to people using service animals. When a person who is allergic to dog dander and a person who uses a service animal must spend time in the same room or facility, for example, in a school classroom or at a homeless shelter, they both should be accommodated by assigning them, if possible, to different locations within the room or different rooms in the facility."

 

https://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm

 

A person needing a service animal isn't creating a problem.

 

Kris

And just how is one accommodated in such a tiny space as an airplane? What if there is nowhere to move the one who can't breathe?

 

This is irrelevant in the matter of comfort animals anyway. It applies only to actual service animals.

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Likelihood of of life threatening asthma attacks aside, I don't think it's "disability discrimination" as that was the term used, to be concerned about life threatening asthma and allergies when discussing pets on flights. I don't think the rights of those with mental issues trumps the rights of those with physical issues.

I agree that it isn't disability discrimination, as a general matter. I was referring to the specific quotes I posted above, which were replete with mental health stigma and, yes, discrimination against people with legitimate disabilities.

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And just how is one accommodated in such a tiny space as an airplane? What if there is nowhere to move the one who can't breathe?

 

This is irrelevant in the matter of comfort animals anyway. It applies only to actual service animals.

 

They are not comfort animals. They are emotional support animals, which have a legal status under both the federal Fair Housing Act and the Air Carrier Access Act.

 

The ADA applies to psychiatric service animals, which have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. For example, if the dog has been trained to sense that an anxiety attack is about to happen, and take a specific action to help avoid the attack or lessen its impact, that would qualify as a service animal.

 

You have no way of knowing what these animals have/have not been trained to do, and referring to them as "fluffy," etc. simply serves to further stigmatize and delegitimize people with mental health disabilities. 

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This leads to another question.  Are pet owners supposed to keep their pets in their containers?  Usually pets are in containers on the plane but I have seen a couple people walk their pets down the jetway on a leash or let the animal's head stick out of a soft container (unzipping the flap for this).  This does seem potentially problematic.

 

 

I know that on Southwest, the rules say that the pet must be in a closed carrier (including head and tail) while in the gate area, during deplaning, and throughout the entire flight, and the carrier has to remain stowed under the seat in front for the flight. However, I have seen quite a few people with small dogs get them out and walk them around in the gate area, and I've seen people with the carriers on their laps during flight, even though technically those things are not supposed to be allowed. 

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My parents' dog used to make the transatlantic flight frequently. He was small, there was a weight limit.

I have a former colleague whose therapist gave him a note and he can take his (larger) dog on domestic flights.

Read this and LOL :) http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/10/20/pets-allowed

 

Great article.  I fear the arrival of fake emotional support dogs in Britain.  Because contrary to rumour, dogs are not allowed everywhere in Britain.  But when the US sneezes, the UK catches cold.  I think our legislation is currently quite tight and only recognises specific disability assistance animals.

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Huh. I'm not a pet owner and never, ever will be, but I have zero problems with animals flying on airplanes. I've never heard any noise from any animal on board a flight.

 

It is extraordinarily stressful and expensive to move internationally with a pet, and there are lots of people whose professions require frequent moves. Some people might think it's fun to fly with a pet, but many people flying with their pets are doing it because they have to. Some choose to get a smaller animal so they can travel in cabin which is safer, less expensive, and significantly less stressful for the animal. Depending on the route, there can be entire seasons when you can't take an animal as cargo which is very difficult to deal with when you have to move because your job in another country has ended.

 

Also, a lot of US people moving internationally are government employees and are stuck with the Fly America Act which means they have very little choice in the airlines the use, or they are paying a huge amount out-of-pocket to take their beloved pet on a government-mandated move. They are working with a difficult set of regulations.

 

Pets can help ease the the transition for children who are dealing with multiple international moves too. They're often part of the family. Sometimes they've been rescued off the street overseas.

 

If I were allergic enough to an animal that I couldn't sit on the same flight, even at opposite ends of the plane, I'd ask the airline about pet-free flights. But people with pets need a safe, humane, and affordable to transport them. Pet owners are lucky to get that at all.

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And just how is one accommodated in such a tiny space as an airplane? What if there is nowhere to move the one who can't breathe?

 

This is irrelevant in the matter of comfort animals anyway. It applies only to actual service animals.

 

It's accommodated the same way other heath conditions are.  If you have a service animal, you have to let the airline know ahead of time.  If you have a wheelchair and need accommodations, you have to let the airline know ahead of time.  If you have a nut allergy, you have to let the airline know ahead of time.  (They will not serve nuts and make sure your seatmates didn't bring in nut foods.  I've also seen them scrub the seats in a section.)

 

If you have a life threatening allergy to pets, you need to call the airline and let them know to find a proper flight or seats for you.  Allergies are disabilities just like the others.  But it is not fair to get angry at the airline if you never told them you needed accommodation.

 

I'm not sure about the actual service animal comment...they are not magically hypoallergenic.  You would still need to be seated away from or on another plane from a service animal.  That is why the airline needs to be informed of their and your presence.

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My dd18's good friend flew on Southwest last summer.  She was traveling alone to college.  She was surprised to find a large dog sitting in the seat right next to her.  Not a little fluffy dog, but a large black lab type dog.  No carrier, no seat belt, no owner.  She never saw the owner, and the attendants didn't warn her or apologize or ask her if she wanted to move or anything.  It was such a funny story!!  The dog was quiet and sat through the flight, and inched closer and closer to her, he ended up basically sitting on her lap and drooling on her.  She didn't see anyone come to walk the dog off the flight, and never knew what was going on.  

 

I've never heard of anything like that before.  So strange!!

 

Sorry, but in my opinion that should NOT happen for so many reasons. First, who wants someone else's dog drooling all over them? Second who was supposed to be responsible for the dog? What if there were turbulence and it wasn't restrained? What if the passenger next to it had a fear of dogs? They're supposed to suck it up and sit out the flight with an animal no one apparently is watching? What about liability if the dog reacted badly to an emergency on the plane and bit someone? The fact that this particular dog wasn't a problem on this particular flight or that this particular passenger was OK with it isn't the issue. That's a bad policy.

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My sister in law is one who bends the rules for her own convenience. She has no emotional disabilities. She has a three month old puppy and was worried it wouldn't continue to bond with her properly (read: absolutely) if she left it with a sitter for her completely optional three week vacation to Mexico. Not wanting it in the cargo hold (which may be dangerous, I don't know), first she asked her mother, a psychologist, to write her a letter stating it was an emotional support animal. Her mother felt it was dishonest and constituted lying and refused to do so, so my sister in law asked her friend, also a psychologist, to do so and her friend wrote a letter saying the dog was an emotional support animal. There was no evaluation involved, there was no diagnosis involved, just a note written. Possibly there could be some some very minor risk to the psychologist's license status. So we may see many dishonest people piggybacking on the real needs of people with anxiety disorders or PSTD probably endangering their ability to fly with support animals as the planes fill with animals there only for their people's convenience, a situation to which petless people begin to complain about and organize against. Honestly, unless you are moving house and have no choice, air travel is unnecessarily traumatizing for pets (especially cats). Pets want to be in their familiar environments, eating on regular schedules, feeling they can eliminate waste at proper times, and not suffering fear from loud noises, the feeling of acceleration/decelleration, etc. Pet sitting in the home is a kindness to your pet. Emotional support animals and disability support animals are (or should be) trained from a young age to handle new situations, noise, discomfort etc. A house pet is not trained in that way.

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My sister in law is one who bends the rules for her own convenience. She has no emotional disabilities. She has a three month old puppy and was worried it wouldn't continue to bond with her properly (read: absolutely) if she left it with a sitter for her completely optional three week vacation to Mexico. Not wanting it in the cargo hold (which may be dangerous, I don't know), first she asked her mother, a psychologist, to write her a letter stating it was an emotional support animal. Her mother felt it was dishonest and constituted lying and refused to do so, so my sister in law asked her friend, also a psychologist, to do so and her friend wrote a letter saying the dog was an emotional support animal. There was no evaluation involved, there was no diagnosis involved, just a note written. Possibly there could be some some very minor risk to the psychologist's license status. So we may see many dishonest people piggybacking on the real needs of people with anxiety disorders or PSTD probably endangering their ability to fly with support animals as the planes fill with animals there only for their people's convenience, a situation to which petless people begin to complain about and organize against. Honestly, unless you are moving house and have no choice, air travel is unnecessarily traumatizing for pets (especially cats). Pets want to be in their familiar environments, eating on regular schedules, feeling they can eliminate waste at proper times, and not suffering fear from loud noises, the feeling of acceleration/decelleration, etc. Pet sitting in the home is a kindness to your pet. Emotional support animals and disability support animals are (or should be) trained from a young age to handle new situations, noise, discomfort etc. A house pet is not trained in that way.

 

While I agree with your overall point re fake ESAs and service animals, I disagree that air travel is unnecessarily traumatizing for all animals. Speaking as a lifelong dog owner, this varies widely by breed and individual animal.

 

While my childhood cocker spaniel was perfectly content with boarding and pet sitting, my last cocker got stress incontinence/diarrhea any time I tried to get a pet sitter for him. He was much happier coming with us, even if that meant going in cargo or baggage (he was not an ESA and was too large for me to carry in cabin). While he was never thrilled with going in the kennel, he eventually settled down, and was always perfectly fine at pickup. The times that I had to hire a pet sitter (usually when it was too hot/cold for him to travel, due to airline regulations), I would invariably get a call from the pet sitter about how miserably sick he was, refused to eat, etc. He had none of these issues when he came with us.

 

We are leaving in a few days for a short family vacation to a hotel/indoor water park. While the hotel was nice enough to have accommodated my current dog (a Cavalier), even though hotels are not required to do so for ESAs, we ultimately have decided to see how he does with a pet sitter (our babysitter, someone he knows already). I have zero desire to bring my ESA onto the pool deck of a water park or to stick him in a hotel room alone for hours at a time.

 

But, I would absolutely bring my Cavalier on a plane. I can say unequivocally that he would have no difficulty traveling with us in cabin. This is the most chill dog I have ever owned. We actually went with this breed precisely because of their compact size and generally easy-going temperament.   

Edited by SeaConquest
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They are not comfort animals. They are emotional support animals, which have a legal status under both the federal Fair Housing Act and the Air Carrier Access Act.

 

The ADA applies to psychiatric service animals, which have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. For example, if the dog has been trained to sense that an anxiety attack is about to happen, and take a specific action to help avoid the attack or lessen its impact, that would qualify as a service animal.

 

You have no way of knowing what these animals have/have not been trained to do, and referring to them as "fluffy," etc. simply serves to further stigmatize and delegitimize people with mental health disabilities. 

They are emotional support animals, and are very easy to get.  Sometimes "comfort animal" is used interchangeably.  I apologize for lack of clarity. 

 

All you have to do is have any "medical professional" of any type say you need one.  If you can't find someone, nsarco.com recommends how to get such a note online so you can take your animal on a plane or into pet-free housing. 

 

Let's just say that some of them are legitimate.  When you are a landlord, you discover that many are not. 

 

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My sister in law is one who bends the rules for her own convenience. She has no emotional disabilities. She has a three month old puppy and was worried it wouldn't continue to bond with her properly (read: absolutely) if she left it with a sitter for her completely optional three week vacation to Mexico. Not wanting it in the cargo hold (which may be dangerous, I don't know), first she asked her mother, a psychologist, to write her a letter stating it was an emotional support animal. Her mother felt it was dishonest and constituted lying and refused to do so, so my sister in law asked her friend, also a psychologist, to do so and her friend wrote a letter saying the dog was an emotional support animal. There was no evaluation involved, there was no diagnosis involved, just a note written. Possibly there could be some some very minor risk to the psychologist's license status. So we may see many dishonest people piggybacking on the real needs of people with anxiety disorders or PSTD probably endangering their ability to fly with support animals as the planes fill with animals there only for their people's convenience, a situation to which petless people begin to complain about and organize against. Honestly, unless you are moving house and have no choice, air travel is unnecessarily traumatizing for pets (especially cats). Pets want to be in their familiar environments, eating on regular schedules, feeling they can eliminate waste at proper times, and not suffering fear from loud noises, the feeling of acceleration/decelleration, etc. Pet sitting in the home is a kindness to your pet. Emotional support animals and disability support animals are (or should be) trained from a young age to handle new situations, noise, discomfort etc. A house pet is not trained in that way.

 

The bolded is inaccurate.

 

Dogs are pack animals and suffer when they're separated from their pack, even if the dog is in familiar territory.

 

Many "house pets" are very well trained and socialized to handle new situations with aplomb. Many thrive on being exposed to new and different situations.

 

Cats will, of course, usually react differently than a dog. I would never lump the two together in a big old generalization.

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my last cocker got stress incontinence/diarrhea any time I tried to get a pet sitter for him. He was much happier coming with us, even if that meant going in cargo or baggage (he was not an ESA and was too large for me to carry in cabin). While he was never thrilled with going in the kennel, he eventually settled down, and was always perfectly fine at pickup. The times that I had to hire a pet sitter (usually when it was too hot/cold for him to travel, due to airline regulations), I would invariably get a call from the pet sitter about how miserably sick he was, refused to eat, etc. He had none of these issues when he came with us.

 

I had the same experience with my last dog. The very few times we boarded him, he was extremely stressed and wouldn't eat well. Once the staff didn't follow my instructions and he ended up peeing on his bed and had to lie in it all night. :( Another time he became very ill after staying at an upscale kennel (with his own room and child-size bed).

 

When he traveled with us, by contrast, he had no problems. He was an absolute angel in the airport and did fine staying in hotel rooms by himself while we were out and about. He knew we'd be back. Generally speaking, pets prefer to be with their families.

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For that matter even my cats are different. Despite the common wisdom that cats always do better at home with a sitter, one of mine does best if I board him at the vet's. He gets tons of human attention and he thrives on that. So when we travel the dog goes with us, one cat stays home with a pet sitter coming by once or twice a day and one cat goes to the vet.

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There is some serious disability discrimination going on in this thread. Be thankful that you don't have crippling PTSD or anxiety.

 

I do. That's what meds are for, and why I don't want to listen to barking/meowing for 6+ hours while trapped on a plane.

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My dd18's good friend flew on Southwest last summer.  She was traveling alone to college.  She was surprised to find a large dog sitting in the seat right next to her.  Not a little fluffy dog, but a large black lab type dog.  No carrier, no seat belt, no owner.  She never saw the owner, and the attendants didn't warn her or apologize or ask her if she wanted to move or anything.  It was such a funny story!!  The dog was quiet and sat through the flight, and inched closer and closer to her, he ended up basically sitting on her lap and drooling on her.  She didn't see anyone come to walk the dog off the flight, and never knew what was going on.  

 

I've never heard of anything like that before.  So strange!!

 

But Southwest allows everyone to choose their seat when boarding.  There are no assigned seats.  The only way I can see this scenario "forcefully" happening is if she boarded last and the plane was completely full or if the dog was last and put into the last available seat.  Otherwise, she chose the seat next to the dog (or could have moved).

 

Southwest also requires that dogs be in carriers, so that gives me pause too.  I guess they could make an exception.  Just because a rule is written doesn't mean it's always followed.  But the seat part... that's a given.  Southwest does not assign seats, nor did they last summer.

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I didn't even know that pets in the cabin was a popular thing. Are they rarely seen/heard? Because I have flown many times and never ever noticed an animal on board. I thought they all went to cargo I guess.

They are very common, and generally so inconspicuous that people seldom notice.

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They are very common, and generally so inconspicuous that people seldom notice.

 

There have been under-seat-animals on many flights that I have taken, but I've only noticed the carriers.  I have never heard a peep from any of the animals on the flight. Mine are too big for carriers, but I would think if they would be in so much distress to cry the whole time, I'd either not take them or get some medicine from the vets to help them relax.  I would guess most other people would do the same.  

 

I've seen lots of service dogs (for both visible and invisible disabilities) as we have training facilities nearby.  You never hear them bark except sometimes as a single alert to their person.

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They are emotional support animals, and are very easy to get.  Sometimes "comfort animal" is used interchangeably.  I apologize for lack of clarity. 

 

All you have to do is have any "medical professional" of any type say you need one.  If you can't find someone, nsarco.com recommends how to get such a note online so you can take your animal on a plane or into pet-free housing. 

 

Let's just say that some of them are legitimate.  When you are a landlord, you discover that many are not. 

 

I am curious how, as a landlord, you have discovered that these ESAs are not legitimate. I ask this, as a person with a mental health disability, in all sincerity. I mean, if my landlord looked at my family, I am sure that they would be hard-pressed to see anything legitimate about my ESA. I have a beautiful, happy family, my kids are well cared for, we pay our rent on time, we drive nice cars and wear nice clothes, and are social with our neighbors. If the rental application asked for education, my landlord would have seen that I have a law degree from a top university. I mean, what could possibly be so awful about my life that I would require an ESA? Clearly, it's obvious that I am just another one of those illegitimate fraudsters trying to pull one over on the system, right?

 

What my landlord wouldn't know is that I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder a decade ago (after being misdiagnosed for the previous decade), that I have been hospitalized for this condition on several occasions, that I have attempted suicide, that I required anti-psychotics after both of my pregnancies because I thought about harming myself and others, that I will have to take a large cocktail of psychiatric medications for the rest of my life (and sometimes, those don't even work to keep this condition at bay), that mandatory reporters have been so worried about my mental health, on some occasions, that I've had CPS show up at my door, that I had to leave my career as a litigator in 2007 and was approved for Social Security disability on my first application while in my 30s.

 

By all outward appearances, my life is great. And, it is pretty great *much of the time.* I am fortunate to have access to, and the means to afford, high quality healthcare and a large support system to get me through life. But, even with all of that, I still have a chronic, disabling condition that affects my ability to work, and which many will still stigmatize because it is mostly invisible to them. 

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