Nearly a year after the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) first proposed a policy that would give airlines the option of banning animals from emotionally supporting flights – as opposed to trained service dogs, which are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – the new animal restrictions will take effect from Monday.
Those who use animals of emotional support talk about the policy changes and lead to an increase in petitions asking for reversal. One such petition was started by Leana Rendon, a 24-year-old in Orlando, Florida, who is looking for emotionally supportive animals like her German shepherd of 2 and a half, Charlie, protected by the ADA.
“I have severe anxiety that increases in various situations, including social,” Rendon, whose petition has so far received more than 400 signatures, told Yahoo Life. ‘My anxiety has been severe for so long that I also have chronic stomach problems. If we’re in public, [Charlie] know I need him to fit in with me. If he experiences any kind of anxiety or tension from me, that is his indication. He starts rubbing his head against my legs incessantly until I pet him, which then releases all my ‘feel-good’ hormones. ‘ ‘
Last month, the DOT passed a revision of the Air Access Act that stipulates that emotionally supported animals are now considered pets as service animals and may only fly in the cargo hold or in a cage under a cabin seat. extra fee determined by the airline. The review also defines service animals that are allowed to fly free, unbound, in the cabin as a ‘dog, regardless of breed or type, who is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified person with’ a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual or other mental disability. ‘Eligible passengers are now only limited to only two service animals and must submit paperwork confirming their status and training.
This comes after concerns that passengers fraudulently represented their pets (including snakes, squirrels and peacocks), aided by a home industry with services that offer doctor letters and certificates of emotional support, as the DOT noted in its review. The DOT also cites an increase in ‘misconduct’ and ‘disruptions’ caused by untrained animals, as well as complaints from passengers with disabilities, many of whom travel with their own service dogs.
The crackdown has since been implemented by American, Delta, United, JetBlue and Alaska Airlines, which will no longer take bookings for emotionally supported animals from Monday, although there will be a grace period for passengers traveling with emotionally supported animals with existing flight bookings for the next few weeks.
Rendon says she will not travel under the current ban because Charlie is too big to fit in a cage under her seat and has to go into the cargo hold. “I will not load the animal that saved my life; he must be by my side at all times,” she says.
Rendon says she understands frustrations within the disability community to have untrained or disruptive animals on board, as well as attempts by some passengers to fly with, for example, an ’emotional support horse’. But she feels that reforms are the answer, rather than banning them.
“Rules and regulations for emotional support of animals need to change to be stricter,” she says. ‘Emotional support animals must be required to have basic obedience training and must have certificates. Mental health is a very serious matter and with this ban many people have felt discriminated against, especially those who do not benefit and have dogs with good behavior. Even if I go to places with Charlie (where we are currently allowed), it makes it difficult for him to focus when other dogs are not being handled by their owners. I can not imagine how much stress and discomfort it will have for someone who is disabled. ”
Joy G., who lives in the Bay Area of California and asked not to be named, tells Yahoo Life that she is also worried about ‘the thought of having to leave my boyfriend behind’. That ‘little guy’ is Max, the 7-pound Yorkshire terrier who she admits helped her with depression in the five years she’s had him. Under the new restrictions, she would no longer be able to travel with him as an emotional support animal. Having him in the cargo area makes her uncomfortable, though she does not rule out the kennel option in the cabin.
“Although we do not travel much these days because of COVID, it is quite worrying that, when it’s time to travel, I will have to leave my best friend behind,” she says, adding: “I know some people think so. is just weird to have such a bond with an animal, but when people let you down, animals never give up on you. ‘
She adds: “I understand that everything changes and that nothing is permanent, but that’s one of the things I wish they could really leave behind alone.”
Jazmine Valencia, who runs a music marketing agency in Los Angeles, is also disappointed with the new policy that will prevent her from traveling with her French bulldog, Sir Daxton, as an emotional support animal. Valencia, who travels regularly for business, tells Yahoo Life that she got the dog last year after feeling overwhelmed and anxious due to the coronavirus pandemic. After getting approval from a doctor, she had him certified as an emotional support animal, rather than a pet that had to stay under her seat in a carrier, after she found the latter experience ‘really horrible’.
“The air hostesses were not very accommodating, and they were just rude about it, even though he was very small,” she says of Sir Daxton as a standard pet.
With her regular airline, Delta, working with others to cage emotional support animals, she now wants Sir Daxton trained and certified as a service dog.
Margaret Cochran, a transpersonal psychotherapist and clinical social worker who uses animals of emotional support in her therapy practice, is understandable.
“Emotional support animals have a positive effect on people’s lives,” she tells Yahoo Life. “It can help reduce anxiety and improve social interactions.”
But she says a lack of regulations regarding animals on board flights “to protect all involved” has enabled the situation to get out of control, and this indicates cases of animals being killed or injured during transport. By taking action against emotional support animals instead of reforming airline standards and safety protocols, deserving people have been denied access to an important source of love, empowerment and emotional well-being, ‘says Cochran.
Service dog trainer and behavioral expert Russell Hartstein, meanwhile, tells Yahoo Life that he has mixed feelings about the new restrictions, which he expects to improve a better experience for airline workers and other passengers (including people with disabilities and service dogs). deprive time of those who depend on their animals being close when they fly.
“Yes, a lot of people have abused (and abused) the rules by taking their untrained pets on the run and calling them emotional support dogs and service dogs,” he says. ‘I therefore understand that most animals with emotional support are untrained and have poor behavior, and therefore airlines and passengers have had enough.
“On the other hand, a lot of people need their legally trained animals with emotional support to fly with them, and that’s not fair to them,” he adds. “Many people who have previously classified their dogs as emotional support dogs do not qualify for service dogs because they may not be disabled under the ADA.”
The issue, he explains, is that there is a distinction between an emotional impairment and a psychiatric disability that falls under the legal protection of the ADA, and between emotional support dogs and psychiatric service dogs.
“An emotional support dog, although very valuable to many people and increases the quality of life for many people, is not considered a service dog,” he explains. ‘There is a difference between an emotional support dog that makes a person feel better, safer, more comfortable, more confident, socially engaging, and so on, as opposed to a psychiatric service dog that performs specific tasks to alleviate a disability. Without the psychiatric service dog, a person with a disability would not be able to function and perform minimum life activities. ”
This has not stopped some dog owners from finding a solution as the new restrictions come into force.
“Although the new laws are unfortunate for people who need emotional support, I receive dozens of calls daily from people who are now trying to get their dogs’ certified ‘as a service dog,” he says, adding that some owners also’ now try to claim that they are disabled to get a psychiatric service dog, ”even if they do not qualify.
“People call me like I can change the law,” he says. ‘I can not. The law is the law. If they classify for a psychiatric service dog, I work with them to train their service dog. If they do not qualify for a psychiatric service dog or any other service dog, they can unfortunately no longer fly with their pets, regardless of the emotional need. There is no amount of certificates or doctor’s letters that can circumvent the law unless the person is disabled. ”
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