Posted on 02/23/2018 9:52:23 AM PST by Gamecock
A dog injured a child onboard a Southwest Airlines flight, the latest incident in the controversy over allowing emotional-support animals on planes.
It happened Wednesday night while passengers were boarding a Southwest flight from Phoenix to Portland, Ore. A spokesman for the airline said the dog’s teeth scraped the girl’s forehead as she approached the animal, causing a minor injury.
Southwest said paramedics examined the girl, who was later cleared to continue on the flight. The dog and its owner remained in Phoenix while the plane left about 20 minutes behind schedule. Neither the girl nor the dog’s handler was named.
Southwest allows trained emotional-support animals to travel on domestic and international flights as long as their handlers provide health certificates, permits and vaccinations required by the “country, state or territory from and/or to which the animal is being transported.”
[United changed its policy for emotional-support animals. That peacock still can’t board.]
The incident comes as two major airlines have changed their policies in response to an uptick in the number of reports involving animals on commercial flights.
Delta Air Lines said in January that it is requiring advance documentation, such as proof of health or vaccinations and signed paperwork confirming that the animals can behave. The new requirements are in response to an 84 percent increase in incidents since 2016, from urinating or defecating, to barking or growling, to mauling a passenger whose face needed 28 stitches. Delta said it carries nearly 250,000 service or support animals each year.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
tens of thousands? Ha, that is just the bill for coffee and donuts for the planning meetings on the mega million dollar off leash dog parks...
What about my emotional support Shetland Pony?........................
There was a movie about them? My goodness!
I always liked the Hippos, because it was quick and easy.
I like SORRY too, for the same reasons.
Monopoly is a far more serious endeavor to set up and follow.
My emotional support animal sits on my plate with mushrooms to the side.
It’s called a steak
I don’t know what an “Emotional Support” animal is. Is this prescribed by a doctor? Is this a service animal. Until recently, I have never heard of this.
I know there are all kinds of service dogs that are VERY useful. There are dogs that warn of oncoming seizures, seeing eye dogs and scores of LE and rescue animals.
What the hell does an “Emotional Support” dog do?
And...
I can’t help but think having to handle an animal while traveling, especially on a plane, would do nothing but add stress. I’m stressed out just having to manage the timing at layovers and boarding and customs and security. I can’t imagine also having to plan for pet potty breaks, food, snacks, etc.
Emotional support my poodle!
Go big or stay home. I'm taking an elephant. Maybe just a baby elephant.
"Emotional Support Animals" are like "Medical Cannabis Cards", 99% are BS. Apartment dwellers are now claiming pets to be ESA to avoid fees and deposits or get around no-pet policies. Others get to bring animals where they are not otherwise allowed, fly for free, etc.
.
This “support animal” crap is just another wedge by the left to demolish orderly society.
.
Eeeew.....that’s so gross.
Humans also enjoy dog parks. It is a place where you can throw balls and play with your dog.
I think the problem with airplanes is people are afraid to put their dog in the baggage area of the plane. I have read of dog deaths, and dog escapes. Dog owners don’t trust the airplanes for taking safe care of their dog.
It would be nice if airlines recognized that, and built a cargo area that owners could bring their dog into, and have the same heating and ventilation system as the main cabin.
.
Time to trade your guns in for a “support dog.”
.
Hilarious! 👍
I wonder if they will let me bring my emotional support 1911 on my next flight...I don’t feel safe flying without it.
You might want to check your state rules on emotional support pets.
In MA they are allowed in residences where pets are banned and in transportation,(which is ridiculous)—that’s it.
A restaurant,market,department store etc. are under NO legal obligation to admit them..
I would make a big stink if I saw one in my supermarket——and I love pets.
.
What service does a service dog actually preform? I’ve seen them in grocery stores, some time riding in carts. They don’t select, fetch or retrieve, they don’t unload the cart, they don’t bag, they don’t carry.
They shed, drool, sleep, but what service activities require their presence?
“Southwest allows trained emotional-support animals to travel on domestic and international flights as long as their handlers provide health certificates, permits and vaccinations required by the “country, state or territory from and/or to which the animal is being transported.””
Most of these “emotional support animals” are only certified by a piece of paper printed off for free from a website, maybe with a note from a compliant shrink who was happy to pocket the money from a consultation. Trained? Not likely.
Also, if they are “emotional support animals”, shouldn’t the human be the “handled” and not the “handler”? The whole premise is that the human cannot handle their life without the assistance of the animal.
Saw some lady in the grocery store last week with some raggedy old poodle dressed in an obviously fake internet dog jacket...
Thing took a crap in the produce aisle.
I've seen that also in grocery. Unless the dog/animal is specially trained to assist a debilitated handicapped person, they should be banned from stores unless they have a certificate notarized from a well known training school.
“The person is likely to freak out...”
That’s why everyone who flies should be trained to apply the “emotional support sleeper hold” maneuver for those circumstances.
My kid wanted to try to get this cat she found registered as one of these “emotional support” animals just so she could keep it in her college apartment. None of her roommates liked the thing. We told her good luck with that and let her know how ridiculous she sounded.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.