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My brother and his wife took their (legitimate) ESA, a 4-lb adult dog, on a Delta flight recently. They didn't try to take him on for free; they bought him his own seat, told the airline it was for a dog, and brought a pad to protect the seat. Even so, the flight attendant would not let the dog sit on the covered seat, but insisted he be caged or on their lap. The airline refunded the seat when my brother complained.
Truly Curious what a 4lb dog can do to "support" a person?
And I would assume a dog just can't sit in a seat like a human
My brother and his wife took their (legitimate) ESA, a 4-lb adult dog, on a Delta flight recently. They didn't try to take him on for free; they bought him his own seat, told the airline it was for a dog, and brought a pad to protect the seat. Even so, the flight attendant would not let the dog sit on the covered seat, but insisted he be caged or on their lap. The airline refunded the seat when my brother complained.
AFAIK, there's no DOT-approved pet harness you can attach to an airline seatbelt like there is for ground motor vehicles, and in turbulence a 4 pound dog can easily become a projectile that can seriously harm the dog and/or the passengers around him. A dog on lap, in a cage, or on the floor has more constrained movement and is going to be safer in 'rough air' so a sensible move by the FA. The problem was the computer system that let them make a seat reservation for a critter to begin with- I think the only allowed non-human seat purchases are for large musical instruments like Yo Yo Ma's cello.
Now that you've mentioned Japan, last year (summer) we passed through Haneda Airport and saw an official notice from ANA stating their policy of not transporting short muzzled dog breeds during the summer months, such as Bulldog, Pug, French Bulldog, Boxer, Pug, Chow Chow, Shih Tzu, King Charles, Pekingese.
Most US based airlines won't allow brachycephalic dog breeds in cargo at all, EVER - risk of death is too high. (Kudos to the airlines!). SW won't accept any pets in cargo at all. And several airports restrict when one can travel with a pet based on temperature. (Phoenix is one of those).
On most (all?) US based airlines, An ESA that can fit On your lap IS allowed to sit on your lap. Too big? It can sit by your feet. It must not extend into the aisle, sit on a passenger seat or be in an exit row. An ESA pet does NOT have to be contained in a crate.
Last edited by Jkgourmet; 12-13-2018 at 06:48 AM..
My brother and his wife took their (legitimate) ESA, a 4-lb adult dog, on a Delta flight recently. They didn't try to take him on for free; they bought him his own seat, told the airline it was for a dog, and brought a pad to protect the seat. Even so, the flight attendant would not let the dog sit on the covered seat, but insisted he be caged or on their lap. The airline refunded the seat when my brother complained.
Sorry, but your brother needs to be a responsible pet owner and read the rules, which are VERY clear on this. No pets in the seats. Even when you go to the bathroom. Even full-fledged service dogs (vs ESA pets). Even in first class.
Maybe it's okay on a private plane or Air Force One.
The problem is who (as in what agency) handles overseeing the registering/licensing of service animals and how do we pay for such a program?
Maybe the registered trainers could issue the license as part of their fee for training and self trainers would take their dogs to a registered trainer to be evaluated and issued a license. Registering trainers can be like registering any professional license. I think the industry needs to consider it due to all the stories of mistreatment of people with real service animals and those who take advantage of the system.
Truly Curious what a 4lb dog can do to "support" a person?
And I would assume a dog just can't sit in a seat like a human
A dog can be trained to detect when a person is about to undergo a melt down (ESA) and react in such a manner as to calm the person. Size doesn't matter. A 4 lb. dog is also good as a service dog in the situation of detecting when a person is about to have a seizure so that they can get themselves in a position where they won't be hurt. This is a service dog. And no, no dog should be in a seat on a plane but some do need to be in your lap to detect changes in your body.
I do believe due to abuse people misunderstand what an ESA can do for a person. PTSD is on the rise with soldiers, firefighters, EMT's encountering things you and I can't even imagine. It isn't something you can just snap out of when you relive these encounters every time you sleep.
The emotional support animal movement, even if it was legitimate at one point, is now total bs. I have many friends who have registered their animals as emotional support animals. It's a joke.
Also, why on earth does someone who can't be away from their puppy for 3 hours get their way, yet the person that is allergic to them has to suffer in a confined space?
The emotional support animal movement, even if it was legitimate at one point, is now total bs. I have many friends who have registered their animals as emotional support animals. It's a joke.
No they haven't. There is no registering of animals as ESAs.
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