“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.”
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.”
Calling a family pet an emotional support animal is rife for abuse. If you need a support animal or blanket to feel secure while flying, it might be time to consider the train. How can we get the airlines and Congress to come up with common-sense rules?
The dogs’ trainer took the three to a veterinarian office, where she left the dogs in the car while she walked in to visit with coworkers. She left the car on with the air conditioning running and had a sensor that was supposed to go off if the car got too hot, the dog owners said.
However, the sensor was not working. The car died and the dogs were left in the nearly 100 degree heat, where they died. Fort Worth police are investigating the dogs’ deaths.