Service animals now dogs-only, Dept. of Transportation says

WASHINGTON — Airlines will no longer have to allow emotional support animals on flights after a decision announced by The U.S. Department of Transportation Wednesday.

The agency revised its Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) regulation on the transportation of service animals to define a service animal specifically as a dog that is “trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability.”

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The new rule no longer considers an emotional support animal to be a service animal.

The agency says it received more than 15,000 comments about the issue.

Many of them were complaints from passengers about unusual animals like peacocks and snakes on airplanes.

From ducks to miniature horses, some passengers say they’ve had their share of unexpected company on flights.

Now, any other type of emotional support animal is considered a pet. The new rule doesn’t ban emotional support animals on planes, but it doesn’t require the airlines to allow them either.

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“We have dealt with fraudulent emotional support animals,” says Taylor Grand of the Association of Flight Attendants. “...passengers bringing their family pets on board for years now.”

The Flight Attendants Association says the new ruling protects both airline workers and passengers

“Most people, when they come on board, expect to sit next to another human being, and this created chaos in the cabin,” Grand explains.

But groups like the National Disability Rights Network argue the ruling will make it harder for people with disabilities to travel.

“We’re concerned that this is really going to put a burden on those people who really do need that kind of support when they’re flying,” says NDRN Executive Director Curtis Decker.

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The organization says it has been pushing for reasonable support animals, and doesn’t advocate for attempts by people to take advantage of the system.

The new ruling also requires airlines to treat psychiatric service animals the same as other service animals.

See the full final rule on traveling with service animals below:

Cox Media Group