Psychiatric Service Dogs and Flying

17

If you have flown anywhere lately, you are likely aware that there are many dogs flying with their owners these days. Take a stroll down any airline terminal, and you will see a number of dogs strolling on leash with their owners—and quite a few behaving in ways that are quite uncharacteristic of trained service dogs. I’ve seen dogs relieving themselves in airline terminals, barking or growling at other dogs, pulling on their leashes, and panting and showing other signs of stress.

I have chalked all of this up to the fact that so-called Emotional Service Animals (ESAs) were permitted to fly with their owners on airplanes for free, and that more and more people were willing to call their pet dogs an emotional service animal. But I was unaware until recently that in March 2021, after a lengthy public comment period and analysis, the Department of Transportation (DOT) changed the rules in its Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) concerning emotional service animals (ESAs) on airplanes. At least when it comes to air travel, ESAs have been reclassified as pets, with no greater rights or privileges on airplanes as any other pets. Today, only service dogs—dogs who have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability—can fly with their owner outside of a pet carrier.

Undoubtedly, some owners who previously claimed that their dogs were emotional service animals are now claiming that their dogs are service dogs, trained to perform specific tasks if they detect their owner is having or about to have a psychiatric challenge or crisis. Owners of a psychiatric service dog must now submit forms to the airline they plan to travel with, attesting to their service animal’s health, behavior, and training.

As daunting as that may sound, a person who just really wants to fly with their reasonably well-behaved dog in the cabin with them will not find it difficult to lie on these forms—though I must mention that the forms state at the top, “It is a Federal crime to make materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements, entries, or representations knowingly and willfully on this form to secure disability accommodations provided under regulations of the United States Department of Transportation.”

I love seeing calm, well trained service dogs in public—and I hate seeing stressed dogs who are clearly being pushed past their comfort zone being dragged through public places. I find it hard to believe that there at genuinely that many people with trained psychiatric service dogs traveling by air, but maybe I am just flat wrong.

What’s your experience with dogs in airports and on airplanes?

17 COMMENTS

  1. I’m confused about how the author is identifying psychiatric service dogs. Is she assuming that any dog with someone without a visible disability is a PSD? Why doesn’t she mention seizure alert and diabetic alert dogs? Both of which are probably more common than the PSDs.
    I agree with the premise that many people probably cheat. But the rest of the article almost comes across as bashing psychiatric service dogs.

    • As a handler-trainer of a psychiatric service dog, I completely agree! I felt that my psychiatric service dog was being bashed.
      That is very disheartening because many, even within the service dog community itself, think psychiatric service dogs are not legitimate service dogs. Some of these people have even actively sought to restrict the rights of psychiatric service dog handlers!
      We have had to fight to be treated the same as any other service dog handler and yet, the fight continues…

  2. I have a therapy dog, a Shiba who is calm, doesn’t bark and knows many voice and hand commands. I would not lie on federal forms and even for us, who would like to be able to fly together to distant places, I’ve never presumed the idea that Tachi is a service dog. I would not put him in cargo! I, too, find it irritating to see ESD’s in public places who are obviously not trained at all. It’s a slap to those who have carefully trained dogs who help them through life.

    I agree with Ms Snyder that there are other reasons people would want to have their dog close and safe for both. I imagine science will find that dogs have other talents in time.

  3. There is no such thing as an ESA. That’s a pet, period. A PSD is a Service Dog and has the same legal rights as other Service Dogs to go wherever the handler who NEEDS their assistance goes. PSDs do perform specific tasks that can be life-saving. This article does a great disservice to people who have invisible disabilities which their PSDs are essential in managing. A printed correction to this article is in order.

  4. Your comment that you have a hard time believing that many real PSDs are flying is flippant and ignorant. Just because you can’t see a person’s disability or see how the dog is performing tasks doesn’t mean that the team is fake. Without data on how many PSD teams fly, you are impugning a large population of disabled persons, adding to stigma, and making it harder for all service dogs to accompany their handlers. I believe that it’s illegal for any establishment, even airlines, to require proof of service dog legitimacy. Please print the research.

    Also, legitimate Service Dogs of any kind are living, evolving, fallible beings, and even though they are trained, they may behave unpredictability when faced with the chaos of air travel, especially when PETS are misbehaving around them. Please withhold your judgment about PSAs and their handlers.