Are emotional service animals a legitimate need or a rapidly-growing scam? Like anything else, the answer depends on whom you ask. I am a huge pet lover, with dogs, cats, fish, and a hermit crab sharing my home. I don’t bring them to most public places, however, because I don’t want to annoy others and I also see no point. Movie theatres, restaurants, and shopping malls are not designed to accept animals. When it comes to travel, the situation can become downright circus-like.
There have been numerous odd instances where someone tried to board a plane with a peacock, or a pig, or a turkey, etc. Call me crazy, but the thought of flying cross-country next to an ear-piercing gobbler that isn’t bathroom-trained is my idea of hell!
According to new rules issued by American Airlines, most people agree with me. If your animal is an insect, ferret, hedgehog, goat, spider or chicken, they will no longer allow them as a traveling companion. Strangely, miniature horses are still welcome.
To me, there is a huge difference between a service animal and a support animal. The former would be a seeing-eye dog to help the blind, whereas the latter could be a boa constrictor that soothes an anxiety disorder. It’s just not the same.
Every reasonable effort should be made to assist the disabled—wheelchair ramps, braille, or motor scooters in grocery stores are all good examples. But when it comes to emotional issues, it’s very hard to prove that bringing your llama to Walmart will actually improve your symptoms.
Anyone who has a serious emotional problem deserves to be recognized and if their needs don’t infringe on the group as a whole, of course we should do it. The question is where to draw the line. I have the utmost sympathy and compassion for anyone with PTSD, major depression, or panic attacks. But please don’t ruin my dinner out or my trip with barking, urinating, and/or aggressive animals that don’t want to be there anyway.
There is a time and a place for everything. Let’s use our common sense to determine what that rightfully would be. A baby Chihuahua tucked into a bag isn’t going to bother anyone; an enormous, screeching zoo creature surely will.
I flew from Newark to Miami and it was like Noah’s Ark. It’s not a need, it’s an entitlement complex.
That’s an excellent point about entitlement, especially with younger people
I think they should allow hedgehogs, ect. Expecially when they allow mini horses!
It seems weird to me too. The airlines claim someone was hurt by the quills? Not sure what the real deal is, but a hedgehog is much less invasive than a horse.
Amen.
definitely
This “emotional support” thing is getting out of hand. All the manufactured reasons to allow your pet with you at all times. In the doctor’s office waiting room, I sat across from a woman with a dog. She claimed it was her “pain sensing dog”. For gosh sakes, if someone is in pain, they certainly don’t need a dog to tell them! Yes, it is going too far.
That is pure crazy!
Miniature horses are quite like dogs, and not very horse like, and if they are true miniatures are no larger than some large dog breeds. That being said, I wouldnt bring a horse dog cat or any animal as support. because unlike service animals, hey havent been trained to ignore stimuli that could potentially upset them and create a bad situation.
I have never been anywhere where there was a group of support animals, you would think there would be a huge conflict if some were predator and some were prey.
I did see a fella in Lowe’s (home improvement store) with a doberman the other day not wearing the service dog designated garb, and thought perhaps it was a support animal as it wasnt terribly well behaved and didnt seem much help.
Like you said, it’s not the personality of the mini horse, it’s the size. I don’t want to sit next to a Great Dane, either! I’ve also seen dogs at Lowe’s, Walmart, Panera, etc. It’s become common, like everyone has a right to bring a pet anywhere, which is not true. Legit service animals should always be protected, but too many are abusing the system.