I've not personally experienced anything too weird. I've seen real service dogs on flights, smaller dogs in portable crates under the seat, and a great dane once (in the terminal, not plane) but nothing non-dog.
However, I've read other stories about a pigs etc. and can see how airlines were being taken advantage of. So am glad for this ruling.
With that said, I have also read about how animals die in the cargo hold. So hopefully airlines can guarantee safety of animals there.
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/e...rnd/index.html
Quote:
Airlines don't have to treat emotional support animals as service animals, a new rule says.
The US Department of Transportation rule announced Wednesday states that "carriers are not required to recognize emotional support animals as service animals and may treat them as pets."
Air carriers are also permitted to limit service animals to dogs.
The final rule on Traveling by Air with Service Animals defines a service animal as "a dog, regardless of breed or type, that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability."
Emotional support animals are prescribed by mental health professionals to provide their owners with comfort and support, but unlike service animals, they are not required to have training in specific tasks.
Airlines have asked DOT to regulate this issue in part over their concern that passengers were fraudulently passing off their pets as the more loosely defined and fee-free category of emotional support animals.
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