Alternet - In recent years, the number of animals flying in the cabin on airplanes has increased exponentially, due to an increase of these emotional support animals. United Airlines reported a 77 percent rise in just one year of emotional support animals. These animals fly for free, and sometimes they and their human are upgraded to first class to avoid a kerfuffle in coach.
... Emotional support animals differ from trained service animals, who have been trained to do work or perform a task for the benefit of a person with a disability. Most emotional support animals are not officially trained to offer support, but their owners consider them a comfort nonetheless.
.... Oscar Munoz, CEO of United Airlines, told a business group that the situation aboard has become so ludicrous that his airline was expected to fly a support animal for an emotional support animal.
Last year, United drew a line in the sky when a passenger wanted to fly with an emotional support peacock.
For American Airlines, the last straw was a goat (miniature horses are still allowed). American issued new guidelines in July that also restrict support animals from occupying a seat or nibbling food from a tray table. There’s no mention about whether they can drink on board. Pet owners, however, claim that it is discriminatory to deny them the comfort of emotional support animals.
2 comments:
Help help I must bring my emotional support tiger on the plane... This taking pets every where is getting out of hand. I see people bringing dogs into stores all the time, and the pets misbehave in places like grocery stores. I don't want to bring dog hair and fleas home in my grocery bag. I was nearly attacked by a pitbull when entering a store once and had to rush back out the door for my safety.(I know pit bulls are not inherently bad dogs, it's the owner's fault, but still scary). I've seen a few places where shops are putting up signs denying entrance for all pets, but of course allowing trained service animals. The first sign I ever saw was at a rare movie store that explained how after several "accidents" they would only allow service animals inside. Add to that some people have serious animal dander allergies which makes emotional support animals a risk for sensitive people who need to fly on planes and go out in public. I'd love to see some certification body that would have training standards and a certificate that would make emotional support animals easy to identify for the public, and given training in public behavior skills.
For some individuals, only too much is ever enough. No matter how much they get, they continue to push the envelope because only their success in getting concessions gives them a moment's relief from their gnawing feelings of essential poverty and worthlessness. If they don't have More, then they don't have anything and are Nothing.
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