Service Animals on Planes

[*bfine32*]

This article motivated me to post on a subject I don't believe we've discussed much, if at all, on here:

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/delta-bans-service-animals-long-flights-152112513.html

What are folk's thought on allowing Service Animals to fly in the occupant area of the plane?

Personally I lean toward the no side.

[GMDino]

(12-11-2018, 09:45 PM)bfine32 Wrote: This article motivated me to post on a subject I don't believe we've discussed much, if at all, on here:

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/delta-bans-service-animals-long-flights-152112513.html

What are folk's thought on allowing Service Animals to fly in the occupant area of the plane?

Personally I lean toward the no side.

One problems is that there is no standardized way of saying the animal is trained, IIRC.

People were just printing out papers to say they were service animals.

Other than that I don't have a big problem with them.

[Belsnickel]

Meh, I don't care one way or the other. Mostly because I can't afford to fly anywhere, so it doesn't bother me any.

[Au165]

Like most things it has been abused to the point that it makes most people look at service animals outside of seeing eye dogs as “fake”. You can literally get a doctor to sign off on a service animal for almost anything, my sister in-law did simply so they could get a dog in their apartment (I don’t care for that behavior and was the jerk at Christmas who pointed it out). On planes the issue is the already top tight quarters. Their “service” animals now infringe on other people’s allergies, fear of animals, and general comfort just because they want to keep their pets with them.

I know some are needed, but the explosion of them in the last five or so years is insane.

[*bfine32*]

It think most here know I deal with Military and a large (relatively) have service animals. I had a coworker bring one to work and I swear he picked it up off the side of the road and threw a red vest on it. I went to talk to him and the dog jumped at me in an aggressive manner. Dude said he's trained to do that.

After having it at work didn't work out, he took it to the kennel on post while he worked. Dog got banned because he bit a worker. There are some great people doing great things with these animals, but I see to often the abuses of the system. One guy said his service dog must be a Cane Corso.

[Millhouse]

If it's a long flight and the dog (or goat or whatever it is) is next to me, I wouldn't be too happy about it due to allergies. Of course if I happen to have my otc green box allergy pills, then I would be ok with it, because after all I am a dog person.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

A long read, but pure gold...

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/10/20/pets-allowed

[Benton]

I've worked with the local legion and vfw who partnered with the VA to work on a dog program. Service dogs properly trained can cost 30,000$ . Or more. For most people involved they know most folks in need can't afford that, so the regulations on what is a service dog are intentiobally loose to keep cost down. Unfortunately that's allowed some folks to cash in and have improperly trainded dogs they can sell for thousands, or people who take the family pet and slap a vest on it and say 'oh. Yeah it's a service dog.'

Personally, I'd like to keep the training requirements lose, but make the animals pass some kind of test. And then allow them wherever the user (veteran, diabetic, whatever), needs.

[BmorePat87]

(12-11-2018, 09:50 PM)GMDino Wrote: One problems is that there is no standardized way of saying the animal is trained, IIRC.

People were just printing out papers to say they were service animals.

Other than that I don't have a big problem with them.

Yep. Fake service animals are an issue. I think airlines should accommodate for service animals, but with the ease at which you can fake it and the issues that come with these fake service animals causing trouble, I see why they would ban them. 

[SunsetBengal]

There is a huge difference between actual service animals and "support" animals. Actual service animals receive specialized training, and have specific documentation to back it up. Support animals are just pets, with a flimsy piece of paper "stating their importance" to the owner.

[Dill]

(12-12-2018, 12:40 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: There is a huge difference between actual service animals and "support" animals.  Actual service animals receive specialized training, and have specific documentation to back it up.  Support animals are just pets, with a flimsy piece of paper "stating their importance" to the owner.

Tend to agree. I have no problem with a bona fide seeing eye dog accompanying a blind person on a plane.  A comfort dog is another matter.

[Au165]

The support vs service dog is a good point. I as well have no issue with service animals pretty much anywhere, support animals are a scam though. It reminds me of a South Park episode that recently hit on the rash of people claiming "anxiety" and needing special accommodations. Basically they call them out as self absorbed douches who don't realize that everyone in the world has some level of anxiety and they just deal with it versus cutting themselves off from the world. Once upon time in the world you had to face your fears to overcome them, now we simply shield people from them.

[fredtoast]

Delta just refused to allow my comfort animal to accompany me. It could not have had anything to do with animal allergies because he is a 14 year old boy from Thailand.

[Sociopathicsteelerfan]

(12-12-2018, 01:28 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Delta just refused to allow my comfort animal to accompany me.  It could not have had anything to do with animal allergies because he is a 14 year old boy from Thailand.

That post next to that avatar.  

[Au165]

(12-12-2018, 01:28 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Delta just refused to allow my comfort animal to accompany me.  It could not have had anything to do with animal allergies because he is a 14 year old boy from Thailand.

The FBI would like to speak with you.

[GMDino]

(12-12-2018, 01:28 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Delta just refused to allow my comfort animal to accompany me.  It could not have had anything to do with animal allergies because he is a 14 year old boy from Thailand.

Just fly out of Florida....they'll make it as easy as possible. 

[NATI BENGALS]

Bunch of sissy bullshit.

I will probably move to Washington though so i can fly with my miniature horse service animal.

As far as im concerned if you are not blind piss all the way off with this whack ass shit and get your god damn dog out of the grocery store