What Uber and Lyft drivers need to know about Emotional Support Animals
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Senate bill introduced to strengthen airline service animal procedures, eliminate emotional support animals on planes
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.
Are people abusing the system to get free flights for pets?
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.
Is that dog (or pig) on your flight really a service animal?
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.”
American Airlines tightens rules for support animals in-cabin
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.
‘I was hurt’: Woman with prescribed emotional support dog kicked out of area medical center
8News found while emotional support animals have some federal protections, they’re not the same as a service animal.
A service animal is defined as animal trained to do work or perform a task for someone with a disability and under federal law can enter almost anywhere.
Emotional support animals may provide medical therapy, but have no special training.
While federal law protects emotional support animals when it comes to housing businesses like restaurants, hotels and malls have a right to say no to these animals.
Recently, the airline industry has started to say no to some emotional support animals. They are now banning peacocks, hamsters other unusual support pets from boarding the plane.
Despite the popularity of emotional support animals, experts say there’s little evidence they work
“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.
So you want a letter saying you need a support dog on that flight? Here’s why a therapist might balk
“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.
