I have seen a huge uptick in emotional support animals.

They are in restaurants, grocery stores, and all public spaces.

Some groups think they have the same rights as service animals.

In terms of Southwest Airlines, if you were prescribed an emotional support animal you can bring the following into the passenger area:

1) Dog
2) Cat
3) Bird
4) Monkey

Delta Airlines, in addition, allows:

5) Pot-bellied Pigs
6) Miniature Horses

You are potentially facing a discrimination suit if you ask to see a physician's paper that shows a valid prescription.

At what point, do you think society will say enough...

Here is the sample letter. That is all that is needed and you are golden to take your animal virtually anywhere.


[Date]


To Whom It May Concern:
[Full Name of Patient] is my patient and has been under my care since [date]. I am intimately familiar with his/her history and with the functional limitations imposed by his/her emotional/mental health-related issue.

Due to this emotional disability, [patient first name] has certain limitations coping with what would otherwise be considered normal, but significant day to day situations. To help alleviate these challenges and to enhance his/her day to day functionality, I have prescribed [patient first name] an emotional support animal. The presence of this animal is necessary for the emotional/mental health of [patient name] because its presence will mitigate the symptoms he/she is currently experiencing.

Sincerely,

(Physician’s name and title)

I would welcome a mini horse on any flight, they are adorable creatures with an energy more uplifting than cocaine.

Since everyone is doing it, I would do it myself. The only downfall is that your permanent medial record will say that you have an emotional or psychiatric disability.

You may then be precluded automatically from a host of jobs including pilot, bus driver, train driver, etc.

When I was at the Bellagio this winter there was a guy at my poker table with small dog in a kennel. The dog was the third best behaved mammal at the table.

great... as though mental-illness needs to be even further stigmatized. i assume you think this will be in reaction to the german pilot. or does this already happen here?

Interestingly, our resident airline pilot here made the same remark about someone at a poker table having an emotional support animal with him at a poker table and volunteering that he didn't really need it.

I would guess 2-5% of the people who have it, need it. The rest just like the companionship and want to take their pet with them where ever they go.

It irks me that you are not even legally allowed to ask for their certification.

I have also seen a tons of fake vests.

You are also not limited in the number of support animals. Theoretically, you can be prescribed 4 of them. And then a proprietor of any business (or airline) would have to allow a cat, dog, bird and monkey into their place.

Tipping point will be in 3-5 years where people with allergies will say enough.

Jesus, how crazy do you have to be to need your pot-bellied pig with you 24/7. What a bunch of bull****.

Well, there is strict doctor-patient privacy. I was thinking about this situation.

What would be interesting is if a long-time employed pilot after seeing a doctor was prescribed one of these animals. Theoretically, he/she should be allowed to bring their animal into the cockpit. I also think an airline employer would have to legally comply and make reasonable accommodation.

It would be odd, as a passenger, to see a helper monkey in the cockpit of the plane, but if it makes my pilot more relaxed, I am all for it. Now if there was also a miniature horse and a bird up there, I would probably be more concerned.

I work in retail and we see this a bunch... it's complete bull**** 90%+ of the time IMO, but what can you do? Americans want to blame their unhappiness on something. Doctors probably figure it's safer than pills and it's not their problem in any case once they write the "prescription". Just one more damn thing.

Can I take my silverback gorilla on my next flight?

I think I'm gonna take a blow-up doll.

You can seriously bring a miniature horse on an airplane? I learn something new every day. What if it has to BM?

golf,

So ****ing annoying. Three girls I know made up this bull**** so they could take their dogs on the plane (three independent events, they don't know each other). Really hate this trend.

Really why should they even need a prescription though.

Except I'm almost positive you can buy these ESA kits online and don't need anything from a real Dr and most places besides an airplane probably aren't going to ask for your Dr's note if they see an animal with a ESA vest on because they don't want to offend anyone. I'M OFFENDED YOUR DOG IS ON THE SAME PLANE AS ME!!!!!

IMO there is a big difference between a service animal and an ESA.

I think it's absolutely horse **** that these things exist. If you aren't mentally stable to go outside with out your animal stay in your ****ing house. I shouldn't have to be in the same area as your stupid dog/horse/pig/etc just because you want to carry it around for attention because after all in 95% of these cases it's just for attention or to be able to bring your dog where ever you want. People are just abusing the system.

I think people that take their dogs everywhere and put them in strollers are the nut low. Children harnesses are even worse.



Please go **** yourself if you do this

or this..

REAL TALK GOBBO TIME.

I had my dachshund Oscar undergo a service dog training course several years ago when I had serious depression issues. I had a really bad panic attack in the car one time and I only calmed down once I got home and laid on the couch with him for a while. He did very well in his training course and I got to know some really cool people. A few people with anxiety issues like me, one person with mobility issues and one vet with PTSD. I learned a ton about the laws surrounding service animals and emotional support animals and definitely got to know a ton of the stigma surrounding them as well.

Cliffs: There is a gigantic stigma surrounding service dogs these days, even moreso about emotional support animals and it is mostly because people do not understand the rules and why these dogs can do what they do.

Oscar is definitely not what people think of when they think of a service dog. For clarification: When I took the class to get him trained (note: not certified. Trained. There is literally no federal certification for a service dog. If the dog does something that benefits you, it's a service dog), psychiatric service dogs were 100% classified as service dogs under the law. Less than a year after we finished our course, legislation passed that officially made emotional support animals separate from service dogs. To be a true service dog and have ADA protection, the dog must do a physical task for you. Simply having him there for comfort is not enough. This was not the case when I had him trained.

Oscar was clearly labeled on his harness as being a service dog. I tried taking him everywhere to get him used to being with me and most people were completely nice and understanding. He literally never caused an issue when he was out and about. In populated indoor places I would always pick him up and carry him. He never had an accident, barked less than five total times over the course of a year (invariably always at another dog if he saw them) and people were usually thrilled to see him and asked a bunch of questions. I carried cards with me advising people on the actual laws and had only 2-3 actual issues.

That said, as someone who had him with me for anxiety issues, people gave me almost as much anxiety for having him than I experienced before. A huge number of managers in restaurants would come up to me and tell me I can't have a dog and would not listen to anything I had to say. I had to leave one or two places. I always spoke to corporate offices afterwards and received apologies, but the hassle and experience of sitting there and feeling like I'm doing something wrong even though the other person is completely out of line was hard to shake. A few people just started yelling at me across a crowded room. People who weren't even working there, they just wanted to give me **** for no reason.

I had countless people ask me where they could get one of those 'service vests' so they could do the same thing with their dog and it infuriated me that they think this is some sort of game or that I enjoy doing this. I'm extremely lucky to have worked through issues over years and don't need Oscar every moment with me. Some people have to have their dogs with them and receive abuse and questions not even daily but HOURLY. When the dog is actually doing their job, they are essentially a medical instrument. Can you imagine being in a wheelchair and bringing an oxygen tank into a restaurant and having the manager come over and tell you that they don't allow oxygen tanks? Then you advise them as to the law and either 1) they make you feel like they're doing you a favor by letting it slide just this once or 2) they don't care and kick you out.

It's against the law to deny someone service because of their service animal, but it's not a criminal thing. It's something that you can sue for but the cops can't FORCE them to let you in.

That being said, if someone comes into a place of business with a service animal or emotional support animal, the law is simple. If the dog isn't causing a disturbance then just don't worry about it. Even if only 10% of the animals you see are actually service animals, if they are causing no issues then it is not worth the 10% of the time that you seriously impact someone's ability to go about their day to day life. The actual number is almost assuredly 90%+. I cannot see why anyone would want to do this just for fun when it almost assuredly caused just as much anxiety as it prevented.

Anyway I know this post was a jumbled mess but I just want you guys to realize that service animals can come in lots of shapes and sizes and the people with them have to deal with *******s almost daily. I'm glad that I don't have to deal with it anymore and I'm very sympathetic to anyone who doesn't have a choice.

For $200, we will do it. No downside. Can you imagine the liability if someone mowed down people and they wrote a note that they wouldn't have done it if they had their trusty pig with them.

Monkeys only.

Delta Airlines allows this. Not Southwest.

It is a medical decision. It requires a doctor to evaluate and prescribe. For $200 (maybe $95 if I am in good mood). I have played around with pricing and demand is extremely inelastic.

Safer than pills...

That is fraud. People tell lies to their doctors all the time. We don't hook people up to lie detector kits. We err on side of caution.

We don't make the laws.

It is illegal to discriminate by type of animal. For example, saying you won't do it for pit bulls.

I'm not allowed inside McDonalds

What you can't do is even ask to see their papers. That to me isn't right. I ask them all the time and they do get very defensive initially. I then tell them we are here to help you. And, if it is deemed necessary, we will take care of all the paperwork. So relax as we put that you have grave psychological issues in your permanent medical file. And then take your pot-bellied pig wherever you want.

world-class gimmick.