Pets

HUD asks FTC to investigate websites selling assistance animal documentation

Cases, Civil Rights, Emotional Support Animals (ESA), Fair Housing Act, Fair Housing Act, Government, Medical Assistance Animals, Pets, Service Dogs (SD), Stop Disability Fraud

January 1, 2020

Recently, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson wrote to Chairman of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Joseph J. Simons and Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection Andrew Smith requesting that the FTC investigate certain websites that may be selling assistance animal documentation.

“These certificates are not an acceptable substitute for authentic documentation provided by medical professionals when appropriate,” said Secretary Carson. “These websites that sell assistance animal certificates are often also misleading by implying that they are affiliated with the federal government. Nothing could be further from the truth. Their goal is to convince individuals with disabilities that they need to spend hundreds of dollars on worthless documentation to keep their assistance animal in their homes.”

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andrew smith, chairman, consumer protection, Department of Housing and Urban Development, director, documenations, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, HUD, joseph simons, lois greisman, marketing practices, misleading, Secretary, unneccessday, unreliable, websites

Families claim they paid thousands for service animal and got expensive pet

Medical Assistance Animals, News, Pets, Service Dogs (SD), Service Dogs in Training (SDiT), Stop Disability Fraud

November 10, 2019

The families paid Canines 4 Hope between 8 to 13 thousand dollars.

Each contract said there is no guarantee the dog would early detect a seizure or a sudden change in blood sugar.

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Canines 4 Hope, change in blood sugar, contract, Cora Ners, Dorothea Alsberg, early detect a seizure, Guidelines, Jason Devito, John Peter Trask, Laura Grady, LoveDogs Inc, Michele Merrifield, Michelle Quesada, no guarantee, Rick Bailey, Sarah Trask, West Palm Beach, WPTV

People Are Taking Emotional Support Animals Everywhere. States Are Cracking Down.

Air Carrier Access Act, Air Carrier Access Act, Cases, Civil Rights, Emotional Support Animals (ESA), Fair Housing Act, Fair Housing Act, Local, Medical Assistance Animals, Pets, Service Dogs (SD), Stop Disability Fraud, Therapy Animals

August 21, 2019

More Americans are saying they need a variety of animals — dogs, ducks, even insects — for their mental health. But critics say many are really just pets that do not merit special status.
The vast majority of emotional support animals are dogs, but some Americans turn to a wide variety of other species. Wally the alligator was approved by his owner’s doctor in York, Pa., as an alternative to taking medication for depression.

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alligator, amanda gill, California, disability independence group, farah stockman, Florida, florida apartment association, for-profit company, jesse calfas, matthew dietz, mental health, national service animal registry, new york times, Oklahoma, online therapists, ophelia, Pennsylvania, phony certifications, primadonna, sam killebrew, sara pratt, starbucks, stuffed baboon, tammy townley, tampa, todd weiler, Utah, vayne myers, Virginia, wally, work

Delta Facing Backlash After Reportedly Denying Flight for Service Dog

Air Carrier Access Act, Civil Rights, Medical Assistance Animals, Pets, Service Dogs (SD), Travel

August 21, 2019

Delta Air Lines has come under scrutiny after the carrier reportedly did not allow a service dog scheduled to be delivered to a two-year-old child dealing with seizures on one of its flights.

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christin lhautara, Delta, Delta Air Lines, donald wood, epilepsy, hydrocephalus, kim biggerstaff, mila lhautara, Phoenix

Department of Transportation Will Let Airlines Ban Emotional Support Snakes And Rodents

Air Carrier Access Act, Air Carrier Access Act, Cases, Civil Rights, Education, Emotional Support Animals (ESA), End Disability Discrimination, Government, Medical Assistance Animals, Miniature Horse, News, Pets, Service Dogs (SD), Service Dogs in Training (SDiT), Stop Disability Fraud, Travel

August 12, 2019

DOT listened to all of the stakeholders, reviewed the law, and laid out guidelines that will allow airlines to balance their operational needs, the comfort needs of all passengers, while ensuring that restrictions put in place don’t preclude having mental health needs met.

While that may not mean the end of passengers getting bitten by poorly controlled and vicious animals, it allows some controls to be put in place that may reduce the frequency and severity of incidents.

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14 CFR 382, advance notice, age, breed, containment, Department of Transportation, documentation, enforcement priorities, final guidance, flight length, forbes, gary leff, number, possums, proof, snakes, species, spiders, turkeys, weight

Chicago man continues legal fight to bring his ‘emotional support’ pig to parks

Americans with Disabilities Act Title II, Cases, Education, Emotional Support Animals (ESA), Local, Medical Assistance Animals, Pets, Stop Disability Fraud

August 11, 2019

Mayle, who said in the lawsuit that he is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, said Chief Wiggum serves as an emotional support animal because he responds to attacks. Mayle also said the hog gives him massage therapy to help him with his anxiety and depression, according to his lawsuit.

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Chicago, chicago tribune, chief wiggum, harry leinenweber, hog, jessica villagomez, kenneth mayle, local businesses, pit, restaurants, ride-shares, u.s. district judge

Americans Want A Shorter Leash On Emotional Support Animals On Planes

Air Carrier Access Act, Civil Rights, Education, Emotional Support Animals (ESA), Medical Assistance Animals, News, Pets, Stop Disability Fraud, Therapy Animals, Travel

July 31, 2019

Research shows that about 78% of 1,200 Americans surveyed in an online study agree that mental illness requiring ESAs is real. Another 81% believe that ESAs should be allowed on commercial airplanes, while only 40% believe that airlines should be allowed to ban ESAs for safety reasons.

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bipolar, depression, embry riddle, forbes, panic disorder, professor of human factors, ptsd, social aniexty, stephen rice, sully sullenberger

Family’s potbellied pigs provide emotional support, but township says they can’t have them

Civil Rights, Emotional Support Animals (ESA), Fair Housing Act, Medical Assistance Animals, News, Pets

July 29, 2019

They could find no fault with the violation notice, so that appeal was denied. And they could find no reason to issue a variance based on hardship.

“I appreciate the testimony,” Beecher said. “From an emotional stance, I see it, I’m a mother myself. But this hardship was self-created.”

In order to get a variance based on hardship, an applicant must meet four criteria. Wisherd and Beecher felt the family could have avoided this with a phone call to the township office to ask if Manchester Township allowed potbellied pigs to be kept as pets in residential areas.

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‘With Me Nearly Always’: Readers on Emotional Support Animals

Air Carrier Access Act, Civil Rights, Emotional Support Animals (ESA), Fair Housing Act, Medical Assistance Animals, News, Pets, Stop Disability Fraud, Travel

July 28, 2019

Legitimate emotional support animals only have civil rights under rules for the Fair Housing Act and Air Carrier Access Act.
Owners should not be implying that these are medical assistance animals with rights to retail stores, restaurants and hotels as written by the author.

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barbara steinberg, bethann shoenfeld, California, cat, dog, equine, helen stassen, horse, lauren hard, missorui, Nevada, New York, nik dev, parrot, prescott, reno, San Francisco, saugerties, st louis, the new york times, whitney call, Wisconsin

American Airlines flight attendant bitten by emotional support dog, requires five stitches

Air Carrier Access Act, Air Carrier Access Act, Cases, Civil Rights, Emotional Support Animals (ESA), Medical Assistance Animals, News, Pets, Stop Disability Fraud, Travel

July 25, 2019

The DOT (Department of Transportation) sought comments from travelers in 2018 and was flooded with replies, but so far no action has been taken.

“We need the (U.S.) Department of Transportation to take action now, so events like the one that happened yesterday do not continue to occur on our planes,” the statement said. “This is fundamentally about maintaining safety, health and security for passengers and crew, while ensuring accessibility for those who need it.”

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American Airlines, Association of Flight Attendants, dallas, dawn gilbertson, Department of Transportation, fort worth, greensboro, instant certification, North Carolina, Texas, USA Today