If you know that emotional support and service animals are the same thing, you probably think of noble and loving working dogs who are dedicated to helping humans cope with anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—especially in public Occasionally when going out or traveling by plane. But emotional support animals came under greater scrutiny earlier this spring following separate incidents on different airlines. Now, according to Time , American Airlines has updated its emotional support animal policy — which happens to ban emotional support snakes, rodents, goats, and a host of other animals that you might not have known could actually be emotional support animals.
In a new revision of its previous guidance on emotional support animals, which came into effect on July 1, the airline said: "We support the rights of our customers, from veterans to people with disabilities, to receive trained services or support Animals have legitimate needs,” Time magazine reported. "Unfortunately, untrained animals can cause safety issues for our teams, passengers on board our aircraft and working dogs."
Emotional support animals (ESAs) can provide comfort to those suffering from conditions such as panic and anxiety, but they are not trained to help treat the conditions like service dogs, according to the Center for Animal Law and History at Michigan State University. According to Canines for Hope, service animals like PTSD dogs are trained to intervene and assist in medical crises by signaling to take medication or stop self-destructive behaviors. Dogs with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are also trained to guide their owners away from stressful or triggering situations. Emotional support and service animals can often fly for free on most airlines if they meet certain requirements, CNN Business reports. CNN also reported that the use of emotional support animals has increased dramatically in recent years, with American Airlines passengers increasing their use of emotional support animals by more than 40% between 2016 and 2017.
The Chicago Tribune noted that the new rules were designed with the needs of those with legitimate mental health conditions in mind, and that under federal law, airlines must allow passengers with disabilities to travel with service and emotional support animals in the cabin — although airlines A mental health professional is often asked to provide documentation on behalf of the traveler to verify whether an animal is required to be carried on the aircraft. The Chicago Tribune further reports that airlines such as American Airlines are cracking down on the emotional support animal verification process because they suspect some passengers are using the option to avoid the $125 fee required to foster a family pet.
Therefore, anyone thinking of bringing an emotional support peacock on an American Airlines flight after July 1 will need to double-check eligibility based on the new standards and restrictions to understand which types of animals are allowed and which are prohibited . You will no longer be able to bring emotional support goats (and many other newly banned animals) on board, but trained miniature horses will still be allowed. CNN also noted that while travelers flying on ESA have always had to provide required documentation before boarding, the airline will now be "more rigorous about contacting professionals before flights depart to verify their records." According to the U.S. CNN further reports that travelers will also need to sign new behavioral requirements for their animals - ESA will need to keep them on leashes and harnesses throughout the flight if they show any aggression Sexual or worrisome behavior may result in being denied boarding or travel. So basically, travelers are required to sign a written statement stating that their ESA knows how to behave on the plane , in addition to being perfect. In addition to the rules for passengers traveling on ESAs, the new restrictions will not affect those traveling with trained service animals.
