The U.S. Department of Transportation may allow airlines to crack down on emotional support animals amid concern that passengers are taking advantage.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has proposed a new policy that would give airlines the freedom to ban emotional support animals from flights, though professionally trained service dogs are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act and would therefore be allowed to remain on board, the Wall Street Journal reports.
“When there are abuses in the system it’s the people with disabilities who suffer,” a DOT official said on a media call, Travel + Leisure reports. “Access is really important and when we do look at our responsibilities, access is one of the most — if not the most — important.” Despite the potential red tape ahead, the policy is a welcome move to Karen Shirk, CEO of 4 Paws for Ability, an Ohio-based nonprofit organization which trains service dogs for veterans and children with disabilities. According to Shirk, untrained animals can pose a threat to official service dogs.
Shirk claims that passengers who want to take an animal on board can get it signed off from “fake therapists” online without having an actual emotional or mental disability. She would like to see stricter regulation enforced, such as receiving certification from a licensed therapist after at least a year of treatment as well as professional training for the animal.
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