I get that transporting pets via aircraft is expensive, and can be risky, but the epidemic of people using the "Emotional Support Animal" con in response is selfish and potentially dangerous. (As someone who drove from Texas to Maryland with cats in a big cage in the back of a minivan, I feel your pain)
Thankfully, due to some rulings by the DoT, it's looking like the bullsh%$ is ending.
It's clear that there are SOME people who are effected by this who are being honest, and they have my condolences to, but the assholes spoiled it for you:
Alaska Airlines is the first U.S. carrier to ban emotional support animals on its flights following a Department of Transportation ruling that airlines will only be required to transport service dogs.
Beginning Jan. 11, the airline will allow only service dogs that are “specially trained” and will refuse transport to emotional support animals.
The DOT rule change came early this month following the agency’s decision to revise its Air Carrier Access legislation because passengers have for years been requesting airlines accept their “service” pigs, rabbits and peacocks. Until now, the department had not defined what constituted a service animal, and all emotional support animals were federally required to be permitted on planes.
By way of context, there were something like ¾ million passengers who brought animals onto airliners using the "Emotional Support Animal" excuse in 2017.
By way of context, there are only about ½ million service dogs in the US, so it's not unreasonable to assume that well over 90% of those flyers in 2017 were lying through their teeth.
Now, it's only dogs, and they have to be specifically trained as a helper animal.
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