Here’s What A REAL Service Dog Looks Like On An Airplane… – Live and Let’s Fly

I routinely mock fake service dogs on this blog and hold their owners in contempt. Those who selfishly slap a “service animal” vest on their poorly-trained dog place in jeopardy the ability of those who truly need service animals to travel. But today, rather than showcase another example of a fake service dog, I will showcase an example of a gentle and well-trained service dog that does belong on an airplane.

Meet Champ, A Real Airplane Service Dog

Meet Champ and her owner, Cassidy. Cassidy transparently explains her disability:

I have a rare genetic type of dwarfism, called Conradi-Hünermann syndrome which affects everything in my body. It mainly affects my spine, causing me to have kyphoscoliosis, meaning my spine bends on two different planes…

Along with my kyphoscoliosis, I have Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency (PFFD) which causes a limb length discrepancy. Basically, my entire right side is about five inches shorter than my left side. So in order to help me walk more comfortably in public, I wear an orthotic foot on foot prosthesis (pictured above). And I also use other mobility aids like my service dog Champ, and a manual wheelchair sometimes. 

I am also blind in my right eye and deaf in my left ear, so I wear a hearing aid and glasses to help with this. I have a few other conditions like patchy alopecia, restrictive lung disease, and ichthyosis. And I have had a grand total of 43 surgeries (41 spine surgeries and two eye surgeries) in my 21 years on this planet!

First, Cassidy is far braver than I am to travel the world despite such physical limitations. I have a huge amount of respect for her. Second, it is clear that her need for a service dog is far from a fantastical delusion of a selfish narcissist, unlike so many of the Lululemon premodannas who parade their dogs into first class to avoid pet cabin fees.

That alone, however, is not enough. She may greatly need a service dog, but a service dog that is poorly trained or poorly behaved is no less a terror to other passengers than any other animal onboard.

But here we meet Champ, who is clearly gentle and well-trained…just look at how skilfully he handles a TSA checkpoint and sits quietly onboard.

This is how it should be done, folks. This is how every dog should act in an airport or on a plane. Dogs (and dog owners) like this merit not an ounce of scorn from me.

And finally, kudos to Cassidy for buying a second seat for her (large) service dog. That makes the experience so much better for everyone. I do realize that not everyone may be able to afford it, but it shows such respect for her fellow travelers.

See folks, I’m not always against dogs on planes. But this story is a stark reminder of how few Cassidy + Champ situations I see onboard and more like this or this or this.

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