Miniature horses are welcome as service animals, but monkeys are a maybe, according to U.S. airline regulators
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November 22, 2025

Miniature horses are in, for now. But capuchin monkeys are on shakier ground.

The U.S. Department of Transportation said Wednesday that it will work to make sure “the most commonly used service animals (i.e., dogs, cats, and miniature horses)” are still allowed on flights, despite increased efforts by airlines to crack down on fraudulent assistance critters of all kinds.

Reports of maulings, allergic reactions, faked medical necessity forms and other abuses have poisoned the environment for responsible travelers who legitimately need service animals. The problems have spurred major airlines, including Delta, United and Alaska, to tighten their rules for psychiatric service animals and emotional support companions.

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My dinosaur is a service animal
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November 22, 2025

Service animals have become increasingly common, with many people seen using them on airplanes in recent years. While dogs are the most common, quite a few various kinds of service animals are used and, in this case, Chris Pratt is trying to convince an airline that his old velociraptor pal Blue is actually there for his emotional support. Bryce Dallas Howard is along for the ride and offers up her own justification for allowing a raptor on a plane in this hilarious Jurassic World 2 video.

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Renters, don’t falsify your pit bull as a ‘service animal’ in Oklahoma
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November 22, 2025

Paid-for certification of service animals — bought online or anywhere else — never passed the smell test, and now it doesn’t pass the legal test in Oklahoma. Supporting documentation that was acquired through purchase or exchange of funds for goods and services shall be presumed to be fraudulent supporting documentation.

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When a ‘service dog’ gives birth at Tampa airport, controversy takes flight
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November 22, 2025

The eight puppies born at Airside F in Tampa International Airport last week were adorable instantly, internet famous quickly and controversial not long after.
The white golden retriever parents, a male named Golden Nugget and the pregnant Eleanor Rigby, were set to board an American Airlines flight to Philadelphia with owner Karen Van Atter. That’s when “Ellie” went into labor, while Nugget jumped around like a nervous dad-to-be.

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Despite the popularity of emotional support animals, experts say there’s little evidence they work
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November 22, 2025

“We just don’t know whether they work or how much they work,” said Molly Crossman, a Yale University researcher who studies human and animal interactions.

There are few studies that examine emotional support animals, and the conclusions of these studies are mixed, she said. Also, the studies focus on dogs or horses, not other species. In her work, Crossman has found little evidence that animals can relieve anxiety or stress.

Still, those who work with animals designed to bring comfort to people struggling with mental health obstacles say people feel better after interacting with animals.

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So you want a letter saying you need a support dog on that flight? Here’s why a therapist might balk
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November 22, 2025

“This thing has gotten out of hand,” said Jeff Younggren, a psychologist and clinical professor at the University of New Mexico, who has conducted several studies on the subject of emotional support animals.

The number of passengers flying with emotional support animals on the nation’s airlines has surged. United Airlines, one of the biggest carriers, saw a 75% increase last year compared with 2016. The trend has been accompanied by more incidents of animals urinating, defecating, biting, barking and lunging on planes. A passenger was even mauled by a 50-pound dog on a Delta flight last year.

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JetBlue’s new emotional support animal rules: only dogs, cats and mini horses, and more documenation
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November 22, 2025

Starting July 1, JetBlue will require passengers traveling with such animals to notify the airline 48 hours in advance and provide a medical or mental health form from the doctor who prescribes the animal and another from a veterinarian stating the animal’s “fitness to fly” and vaccination records.

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Websites selling unneeded service animal certifications
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November 22, 2025

KNOXVILLE, Tenn (WATE) – Service and emotional support animals make living an independent lifestyle a possibility for many people with disabilities and mental health challenges.

For people with disabilities, the right to bring a trained service animal out in public is key to living an independent life.

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