DOT ANPRM: Traveling by air with service animals
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May 16, 2018

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT or Department) is seeking comment on amending its Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) regulation on transportation of service animals. The Department has heard from the transportation industry, as well as individuals with disabilities, that the current ACAA regulation could be improved to ensure nondiscriminatory access for individuals with disabilities, while simultaneously preventing instances of fraud and ensuring consistency with other Federal regulations.

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American Airlines tightens rules for support animals in-cabin
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May 15, 2018

Emotional / psychiatric support and fully-trained service animals can fly in the cabin at no charge if they meet the requirements.

Animals must be able to fit at your feet, under your seat or in your lap (animals to be seated on lap must be smaller than a 2-year old child). For safety reasons, you won’t be able to sit in an exit row when traveling with your service or emotional / psychiatric support animal.

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Collared: New laws crack down on fake service dogs
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May 6, 2018

Last month, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, a Democrat, signed into law a bill making it illegal for people to misrepresent their pets as service animals, under which pet-loving perps are subject to a $100 fine and a misdemeanor charge. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, signed a nearly identical bill, under which those “fraudulently misrepresent” service animal can be fined $250.

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Senate Bill S.2738: Air carrier passengers with service animals to adhere to a standard of service animal training
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May 3, 2018

This bill requires the Department of Transportation to establish a standard of service animal behavior training that an individual with a disability shall adhere to in seeking accommodation involving a service animal from an air carrier, including any foreign air carrier, providing air transportation. Any individual who knowingly and willfully makes a false statement to obtain an accommodation involving a service animal from an air carrier is subject to specified criminal penalties.

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Is that dog (or pig) on your flight really a service animal?
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May 1, 2018

David Favre, a law professor at Michigan State University and editor in chief of its Animal Legal and Historical Center, said fraudulent cases eroded trust about service animals.

“There are many thoughtless, ignorant or arrogant people out there who only think of themselves,” he said. “Abuse is everywhere.”

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Are people abusing the system to get free flights for pets?
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May 1, 2018

So, how easy is it to fake it?

KDKA’s Amy Wadas decided to see how the process works, so she logged onto a website for a company called Certapet in hopes that she could get her 5-year-old cat, Simba, certified to become an ESA animal.

The site is one of several where a licensed medical professional will write an ESA letter for you if you pay a fee. Wadas had to answer a bunch of questions involving her mental health, like whether she felt down or had anxiety in the past week.

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Senate bill introduced to strengthen airline service animal procedures, eliminate emotional support animals on planes
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April 27, 2018

Senator Richard Burr introduced legislation to align the definition of a “service animal” under the Air Carriers Access Act (ACAA) with the definition under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), establish a criminal penalty for making misrepresentations about a service animal, and require federal agencies to establish a standard of service animal behavior training for animals who will be working on an aircraft.

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These 19 states are cracking down on fake service dogs
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April 13, 2018

“Today, any pet owner can go online and buy a vest for a dog to pass it off as a service animal to gain access to restaurants, hotels and places of business,” said Republican state Rep. Kimberly Ferguson, who introduced the Massachusetts bill. “Their animals aren’t trained and end up misbehaving in these public places, which gives real service dogs a bad name.”

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