@bunsenburner the zoo by me has loose peacocks (which I didn’t know was a thing…). I took my 1st graders there on a field trip one time and it followed us around and scared the beejezus out of them. These are all refugee and immigrant kids so for most of them, it was their first time seeing MANY of the animals and then we had this giant bird following us around.
I had to pretend not to be scared because I didn’t want the kids to freak out but that thing was intimidating. The dots on the feathers just really creep me out, too.
Fort Wilderness at Walt Disney World used to have peacocks roaming around freely, but about 10 years ago they had to relocate them because people were harassing the peacocks, which was a bummer because they were very cool birds.
They are, as another poster mentioned, very intimidating-I can’t imagine them being used as a “comfort” animal unless you’re comforted by the idea of everyone around you being really freaked out by their size and the “bah-WAH bah-WAH” calls they make.
Someone in my family posed the interesting question last night-are service animals allowed into countries with very strict quarantine laws? I don’t mean the ersatz “support” dogs; I mean the dogs who guide the blind or assist the kids in wheelchairs…
My high school at a point had a number of peacocks perching on the roof and grounds. They kept to themselves for the most part, but we were rather thrilled
I have loved seeing the very well behaved dogs in Europe on trains and in restaurants. The few dogs I have known well only want to be with their owners, and to allow them to be more constant companions is kind to us and them. However, it is all about the well behaved animals and humans who are also have high expectations for animal and people behavior. I am curious as to how they enforce those standards in Europe and how the animals are trained.
Well, DD just played by the rules again and booked her dog for her flight. His ticket cost more than hers. The airline does nothing for him. He goes under the seat and takes up one of her carry on bags. He is a quiet traveler and bothers no one. Flight attendants usually comment they did not realize he was there. Just extra profit for the airline. Airlines are bringing the cheaters on themselves as far as I am concerned.
Probably because the consequences of not providing convenient pet facilities are yuckier than not providing convenient breastfeeding & transgender facilities… :o3
There is such a blurring of understanding between legit Service Animals and ESAs. SAs are supposed to in control (leashed/handle) and are trained to provide a service and under the control of their handler. An ESA is often not trained, doesn’t provide a service, and may not be under the control of their handler.
While I would have no trouble allowing a SA in one of my VRBO rentals, I would be annoyed if someone wanted to bring an ESA. I do not allow pets, and I would not be allowed to charge a “pet fee”. These animals are often no more trained than any old pet. Once in a rental/hotel, they would likely be allowed to roam free like they do at home when they are treated as pets.
So, @mom2collegekids, how would you handle it if someone asked to bring their pet and they were vague in their definition of what service this dog provided to them? Would you ask for some kind of documentation, take their word for it?
Some people might not want to say. A few weeks ago, I heard a lecture given by a young woman with schizoaffective disorder (roughly, a combination of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder). She has a service dog whom she can ask if what she thinks she’s seeing is really there! If it is, he lifts his paw. If it’s not, he shakes his head. Really! She said he’s been so helpful, because her boyfriend got tired of her asking HIM all the time if she was hallucinating. The dog has really improved her quality of life. I asked my son’s case manager if my son could get one, but apparently they’re very expensive and the waiting list is years and years long to get one.
On a recent tour at U of Oregon, the tour guide enthusiastically told us that she is allowed to have her Emotional Support chihuahua in the dorm. I suppose it’s possible that the dog really does help with a true disorder, but that’s not how we read the situation.
I have had clients with service animals that anticipated their seizures. These are very important and helpful. It is the people who misuse the system who cause problems for others.
A lot of us have emotional support animals, only we call them pets and only take them to pet-friendly places. Anyway, H and I were in Lowe’s Friday and saw a dog walking alongside his owner without a leash, and another one in a shopping cart. I saw another at the hardware store yesterday but it turned out he belonged to an employee and was just visiting.