The U.S. Department of Transportation is on the right path as it proposes to tighten the leash on the problem of so-called “emotional support animals” on airplanes. The agency on Jan. 22 announced it was planning to limit animal flyers to only the specially trained dogs that qualify as service animals.
In some ways this is an unfortunate turn, as it demonstrates that some people are determined to break the rules and inconvenience — and sometimes endanger — others for their own selfish ends, forcing the government to step in.
But step in it must. Flyers have claimed not just untrained dogs as emotional support animals, but critters including cats, squirrels, snakes and a variety of birds. Some of these creatures, lacking the intense training true service animals receive, have created messes and bitten passengers and members of flight crews. While some of these critters’ owners might have a legitimate need for their pet’s company, the airlines say many are simply running a scam in an effort to avoid paying the pet fee, usually around $100.
There is no denying this has become a huge issue for the airline industry. According to the Associated Press, Southwest Airlines carries more than 190,000 emotional support animals per year. American Airlines had 155,790 in 2017, up 48 percent from 2016, while the number of checked pets dropped 17 percent. United flew 76,000 comfort animals in 2017.
The Department of Transportation is proposing that the only allowable animal on a flight would be a dog that is trained to help a person with a physical or other disability, the AP reported. That is a change from its current policy, which also allows cats and miniature horses as service animals. Under the proposal, passengers with a service dog would have to fill out a federal form on which they swear that the dog is trained to help them.
The proposal would prohibit airlines from banning a particular breed of dog if it qualifies as a service animal, although they could refuse to board any dog they deem a threat.
Organizations representing the airlines, flight attendants, veterans and people with disabilities have all praised the proposal. “The days of Noah’s Ark in the air are hopefully coming to an end,” Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, told the AP. “This is a wonderful step for people like myself who are dependent on and reliant on legitimate service animals,” said Albert Rizzi, founder of My Blind Spot, an advocacy group for people with disabilities. He told AP that “some people want to have the benefits of having a disability without actually losing the use of their limbs or senses just so they can take their pet with them.”
He makes a valuable point. There’s no question we Americans love our pets. According to Fox Business News, we spent $72 billion on our animals in 2018 and that number was expected to reach $75 billion last year. But that doesn’t mean we should expect others to tolerate their presence where they might not belong, such as grocery stores and restaurants. And it’s a no-brainer airplanes, with their tight quarters and limited mobility, are not the place for any animal that has not been trained specifically to assist its owner in such situations.
We know some with emotional support animals will howl, but the Department of Transportation should limit allowable service animals to properly trained dogs (we would be open to mini horses, too). This is an overdue step to ensure the safety of the flying public and animals that are truly vital assistants to their owners.
