ESA animal mauls another passenger on airline flight

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As I think I’ve mentioned on another thread somewhere, I’ve raised a dog for a very large, very respected national service dog group. I am dismayed at the dogs who are passing for “service dogs” these days. Any service dog worth it’s salt will be almost invisible on something like a flight; they will very discretely sit next to their master. These dogs are smart, calm and completely subservient to their master. Heck, “real” service dogs will even go to the bathroom on command! I am dismayed that dogs like the one mentioned in this article are allowed to be treated as service dogs. Most of them aren’t service dogs. They are just pets.

BTW, I got to sit next to a lady holding a toy breed dog at the Cheesecake Factory yesterday. The dog had no vest or anything. The waiters and staff just turned a blind eye. I think businesses are just trying not to rock the boat anymore.

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ESA /= service dog. Two different laws. Service dogs can go anywhere with the owner. ESA law only applies to airplanes in the US and housing, including hotels.

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A funny story to highlight how clueless some pet owners can be. The other day the bus on the way home was very crowded. A lady and her mutt boarded the bus and had to stand in the isle next to my seat. I noticed something dripping from the dog’s snout onto the floor and gathered up and tucked in my skirt. The lady got visibly offended, “Are you afraid or dogs or what?” “Nope, I just don’t want him to drool all over my dress.” “He does not drool!” huffed the lady. “And what is that on the floor?” “Oh, that’s just his nose dripping!” LOL, did she really think dog’s snot is preferable to doggie drool?! :smiley:

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@vineyardview Agreeing with you!

The service puppies I raise are already learning to eliminate on command when they are dropped off at seven weeks. So when I recently saw a person who was raising a puppy for another organization standing around impatiently waiting for a fully grown puppy to eliminate as it took its time sniffing around, I was shocked, like really horrified wondering how that could work.

That was the first time I realized that not all groups have the same standards. And that they can overlook the most basic functions is actually very troubling.

I happened to take the puppy I have now to my grandma’s nursing home that has always welcomed dogs. The puppy was in vest, and for the first time, I got a weird reaction from a nurse. It turns out a therapy dog had recently bit a patient there. All the other nurses and staff knew me and were fine, but something was spoiled.

I had just planned on stopping back to for a quick visit and to take my mom home since we’d been there most of the day. But then my grandma appeared to have a heart attack, so I had could not leave. I called all my family to come over asap.

It was a great relief that in such a crisis, the puppy knew how to behave, and it’s because of the great organization that I am a part of.

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I’m not getting into a pit bull debate (meaning I won’t come back to argue with anyone) since I just don’t have the emotional energy but I do remind people that “pit bull” isn’t a breed. Do you mean APBT? Staffie?

Oh and did you know that in studies, APBT have better temperaments than beloved dogs like Goldens?

http://dogtime.com/dog-health/general/1220-american-pit-bull-terrier-temperament-dog-bites

No, APBT are NOT any more likely to attack than any other dog. They, just like any dog, can attack when threatened, abused, neglected, etc. Unfortunately, APBT and mixes represent a very large proportion of dogs that fall under this category.

Plus, most of the time when dogs attack, they’re called pits regardless of what breed they actually are. “Pit bull attacks” is a sexy headline that gets clicks.

As for ESAs, they should prove that the dogs are properly trained and certified. This isn’t an unreasonable request IMO.

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https://www.livescience.com/27145-are-pit-bulls-dangerous.html

"A five-year review of dog-bite injuries from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, published in 2009 in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, found that almost 51 percent of the attacks were from pit bulls, almost 9 percent were from Rottweilers and 6 percent were from mixes of those two breeds.

In other words, a whopping two-thirds of the hospital’s dog-attack injuries involved just two breeds, pit bulls and Rottweilers.

Other studies confirm these statistics: A 15-year study published in 2009 in the American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology revealed that pit bulls, Rottweilers and German shepherds were responsible for the majority of fatal dog attacks in the state of Kentucky. [See What Your Dog’s Breed Says About You]

And a 2011 study from the Annals of Surgery revealed that “attacks by pit bulls are associated with higher morbidity rates, higher hospital charges and a higher risk of death than are attacks by other breeds of dogs.”

The authors of that 2011 study go on to say, “Strict regulation of pit bulls may substantially reduces the U.S. mortality rates related to dog bites.”"

"Pit bulls join several other breeds on the list of dogs that are recognized as more likely to attack and cause significant injury: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed data and found the following breeds are implicated in a majority of dog-bite fatalities:

Pit bulls
Rottweilers
German shepherds
Huskies
Wolf hybrids
Malamutes
Doberman pinschers
Chow-chows
Saint Bernards
Great Danes
It’s worth noting that no matter how these data are arranged — mixed breeds versus pure breeds, injuries versus fatalities — pit bulls consistently rank at the top of the list for attacks, and by a wide margin. (Rottweilers generally rank a distant second.)"

"What exactly is a ‘pit bull’?

The term “pit bull” is a general term encompassing three distinct, though related, breeds: the American pit bull terrier, the American Staffordshire terrier, and the Staffordshire bull terrier.

They were originally bred as “catch dogs” for hunting and attacking large animals like wild boar, for herding livestock and for pit fighting."

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This thread makes me very happy I fly Southwest.

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^^^ Why? I’m a Southwest A-List flier and have had to travel with a cat several times! I’m seen plenty of dogs and cats on flights. I’m not sure what you are saying. I’m an animal lover and am fine with well-behaved animals on-board as long as the person pays their freight if the animal is not a legitimate service animal.

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Before “emotional support animals” were allowed on planes, how did anxious people (a lot of us) manage to fly?
Alcohol? Deep breathing/relaxation techniques? Prayer/meditation?
I hope the victim sues the dog owner and airline. I hope the airlines close this loophole. If you truly can’t leave your pet, stay home or drive your own car. Get counseling. Try using a security blanket or stuffed animal instead.

All others, crate/pay for pet’s transport. Or hire a pet sitter.

I’m tired of hearing people brag about gaming the system. Seeing-eye dogs for the blind? Fine. Scammers? Shame on them for pretending to be “disabled.”

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I would have no problem with ESAs on planes or in other public places IF they were required to go through the same training as service dogs. The last couple of times I was I in a public place with a service dog the dogs were incredibly well behaved. They lay down at the owner’s feet and remained calm and quiet despite many distractions. Then again, the owners were disciplined too. They did not allow people to pat their dog while the dog was working.

The real problem is the lack of any training or certification process whatsoever for ESAs.

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I was in CVS last week looking at greeting cards when up rolled a woman with a chihuahua in the child seat of her cart. After a few seconds, I heard her chastising the dog so I turned around to see that it had peed in the seat and the pee went down through the grates in the cart and onto the carpet. Of course she didn’t make any attempt to clean it up or anything – she just strolled over to the next aisle.

Yesterday in Publix a woman walked in with her Yorkie on a leash, no vest (not that it would make any difference since it would probably be fake anyway) and strolled through the store with him walking behind her. She walked right past an asst. manager, who did nothing. I asked him why he didn’t stop her (Publix has a posted rule that only allows service dogs inside) and he said, “Well, maybe that was a service dog”. Yeah, right. A Yorkie. Without a vest. When I rolled my eyes, he basically admitted that they don’t like to confront the customers about dogs – “You know how it is”, he said. ~X(

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I’m glad you spoke up, @patsmom. Unless folks do and our collective voices get heard, it won’t change as store management will take the path of least resistance.

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@MomofWildChild - Southwest has open seating. If you don’t like your neighbor for any reason, either move or don’t take the seat next to them. In the incident we are discussing, the man injured did not have that option. Southwest also does not seem to overbook as much as other airlines, so there typically are more free seats than at Delta or United.

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I think that - unfortunately - the ball will only get rolling on regulating the ESA/service dog situation when an infant/young child or high profile person gets killed or very seriously injured in a very public place, along with someone taking video of the attack. I imagine that a video of an attack would play over and over again on the 24 hour news channels. Only then will people get upset enough to force our government(s) to regulate the ESA/service dog “industry.”

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The only thing that the 3 dogs I have known who would actually bite, or seriously threaten to bite, had in common was that they were abused briefly as puppies, and had excellent homes thereafter.

I think it’s pretty obvious why certain types of dogs rank high on the bite lists: it is because far too many of them are bred (to use the term loosely) and owned by people who are themselves vicious bullies who want people to be afraid of their dog.

But this whole ESA thing is just a scam that it out of control. The consequences are going to get worse.

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@twoinanddone You’re very right that there is minimal regulation regarding ESAs. Service animals must be dogs (or mini horses in approved cases) and if they are misbehaved they can be expelled from the premises. There are no such rules for ESAs. I think what we’re all realizing is that this lack of regulation doesn’t really help real ESAs or service animals at all as it’s so easy for people to fake it like you pointed out.

I don’t know anything about training snakes, but I’d agree that at least a basic Canine Good Citizen test should be mandatory for any kind of therapy, emotional support, or service dog. It really only covers the basics but includes walking on loose leash (not pulling), ignoring distractions, and greeting other people with dogs without breaking focus. When I reference a “proper” assistance animal of any kind, I mean one that meets the expectations of its occupation. Even if a dog is a certified ESA (though I’m not sure there’s any real certification), I completely agree with you that that does not guarantee they’ll behave as an assistance animal is expected to. Thank you for pointing out how that wording was misleading. I will be more careful in the future in not perpetuating misconceptions.

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Just to see what would happen I just signed my family pet up as a service dog on a “registration” site. The site asked for absolutely no verification or information other than my dog’s information-breed, sex, name, size. They emailed me an official looking certificate for free and for $139 I could order a full ID kit including a red service dog vest, aluminum tag, ID tags with my dog’s photo and certificates. Disgusting. It’s people who use sites like this that make people mistrust real service animals.

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I was at an art fair this weekend and one of the pet booths was selling “Therapy Animal” vests for dogs. (It might have said service dog- can’t remember but either way…)

It’s ridiculous.

I used to work at a library for the blind and many people brought their seeing eye dogs in. Not one of the people I used to work with would have had a problem providing documentation that their dog was registered and trained dog. It seems like it would be pretty easy for governments to issue a card or something.

It’s not unheard of to ask for proof of disability for something. The thing I can think of off the top of my head is handicap stickers/placards/licenses. I have to bring medical documentation to the SOS (our version of DMV) and am issued a placard. If I were to hang one bought on Amazon on my car, it is a big fine.

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You actually can’t ask for proof of disability for service animal accommodation.

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But you can ask what activity the animal can assist with (retrieving objects, guiding in traffic, detecting a medical problem like low blood sugar or epilepsy).