Dang, I guess that’s another letter folks will have to carry to show that they are allergic to animals. We’d better get one for D, she’s quite allergic, especially for prolonged flights (many of her flights are over 4 hours).
I wonder how that would have worked if the pets were ESA animals. Those are the only ones that are free BTW.
In a discussion about this issue colleagues were having elsewhere,(reposting with permission) a person who does dog training stated the following. I didn’t know this, but it is helpful, with respect to rights of others if the ESA misbehaves:
“
• not exhibiting housebreaking infractions or behavior deemed “out of control.”
• If the dog has a housebreaking infraction, barks uncontrollably, destroys property, is generally unruly, or displays out of context aggression, the owner, landlord, agent, tenant, manager, or supervisor that provided access to property (home, business, airplane, etc.) may legally demand the removal of the animal, without violating the constitutional or civil rights of the dog’s owner.
• However, said removal is only pertinent in the immediate moment. The dog’s status as an ESA is not eliminated because of the removal.
• Nevertheless, in my opinion, from the standpoint of responsibility to society, a dog that is generally, frequently, or even more than rarely unsatisfactory in its behavior should not be provided status as an ESA, whereby it is allowed to stay for free in hotels, allowed to stay in leased or rented residential or hotel units (even those that don’t typically allow dogs) without paying a pet deposit, and allowed to ride in the cabin of an airline without paying a fee to the carrier- and where it may disrupt a flight, destroy property, or injure a passenger or airline employee.
“
While a letter must be provided by a mental health practitioner for ESAs to travel on airlines, it’s easy for any doctor’s letter to be accepted, because psychiatrists are MDs. The airline doesn’t have time to call the MD to see if they are a psychiatrist and therefore a mental health practitioner, so any MD’s letter slides by to allow the ESA. ?
Their letterhead or line under their signature should say what their specialty is.
And the letter is supposed to identify their mental health diagnosis and how/why the ESA is prescribed for amelioration of their MH symptoms.
I always had a doctor’s letter with me when traveling with our asthmatic children. Their specialist wrote a letter briefly describing their medical history and giving his private number so another medical professional could call if need be. I used it in emergency rooms. I never encountered an animal on a plane in those days.
I have a 50-lb dog. I would never seek to have her registered as a fake ESA so that she could fly on SWA. (Or for any other reason, for that matter. It is simply despicable.) I would simply choose another airline, if I HAD to fly with her. Normally, she and I drive. If I couldn’t drive, she would stay with a friend or in an excellent boarding kennel. As a dog owner, it is your responsibility to make humane provisions for your dog, just as it is to see that they are vaccinated and fed properly, and treated for illness and accident to a reasonable degree. (No one is required to subject a dog to wildly expensive treatment if it is unlikely to cure them or extend their life expectancy, IMHO.) If you cannot afford to provide those things, you cannot afford to have a dog.
Must ESA pets be up to date with their vaccines when they fly?
Nope, as far as I know. Each state has its own vaccination requirements for pets.
Has anyone noticed a rise in ESA animals (not SA) showing up at sports arenas or stadiums? I’m thinking that could also become a nightmare…narrow assigned seats, very little legroom…few aisle seats…where would the animal sit?
BTW…don’t know if this has been discussed, but do you think that more females have ESA animals than males do? Just wondering because all the people I personally know with ESA animals are female…not one male. Perhaps it’s a cultural thing…males don’t want to be seen as needing such.
ESA’s are approved ONLY for airplanes and for housing. All other places can deny entry.
My friends D has a guide dog and she actually doesn’t try to take him to stadiums - she feels too much noise and she has her H or herself with D.
I don’t know a single person with a real ESA. I do have a friend whose D has a fake ESA for the purpose of flying in the cabin: her Yorkie, who fits under the seat in a carrier. She got the “certificate” when relocating from CA to IL, and also uses it when flying from IL to VA to visit her mother. I think it is perfectly reasonable to transport an animal that small in the cabin in a carrier, assuming that no one has a serious allergy. I don’t think it’s reasonable to lie about it being an ESA.
I know several older people who live alone and have an ESA. They might never leave their apt if they didn’t have a dog. These aren’t the kind of,people to bring their dogs to restaurants, malls, nor flights.
I was reading about the SW woman on FlightAware, who claimed severe allergy to dogs. She had no documentation, nor an Epi pen.
“BTW…don’t know if this has been discussed, but do you think that more females have ESA animals than males do?”
I don’t personally know anyone but from my observations of those I’ve seen around, most definitely female.
In San Diego, there are plenty of men with ESA’s. I presume they’re veterans (the men, not the dogs). Dogs are everywhere; TJ Maxx and Marshalls as well as Home Depot and occasionally the grocery stores. Last year there was one very well behaved large dog in the balcony at the symphony - with a man. Every farmers market has signs that dogs aren’t allowed within (I think) 15 feet of food being served and that’s totally ignored.
^^^
Yes, I have seen some military vets with animals, but i thought those were issued SA’s
Marilyn, how does one know which animals are ESA’s and which are simply pets? Do people in your area mark ESA’s in some way?
<<<<< who claimed severe allergy to dogs. She had no documentation, nor an Epi pen.>>>
I know many with serious allergies to animals, but they don’t carry docs or epi pens. When i think of epi pens, i more think of family members who have peanut, bee sting, or allergies like that.
I’ve seen just as many men with ESA pets, and they didn’t seem to be military veterans. Mostly older men. One was traveling to Europe in the first row of first class with a large dog. What would happen during an EU quarantine? I assume they had paperwork but I thought there was a required observation period too.