A “Service Dog” For A “Service Dog” In Delta Air Lines First Class … – Live and Let’s Fly

a group of dogs walking in a room

Another day, another service dog incident, this time a pair of restless “service dogs” on a Delta Air Lines flight from Miami. Or maybe the service dog was for the other dog?

One Dog, Two Dogs, Red Dogs, Blue Dogs: Two “Service Dogs” On Delta Air Lines

Video captures a woman waiting to board a flight in Miami International Airport (MIA). She is holding not one but two “service dogs.” Unfortunately, these “service dogs” were quite active…I spoke to a certified service animal trainer who remarked that the conduct of the dog in the blue collar (pulling the leash) suggests no serious training. That suggests the “service animal” is not really a service animal.

Maybe the service dog with the red collar and vest was the real service dog and assigned to provide comfort and support to the other dog?

What do we do about fake service dogs?
byu/Rukusduk11 indelta

The passenger who captured the video added, “Two obviously not service dogs sat at the feet of their owners. How does Delta allow this?? MIA to MSP flight 2150 today. Seats 4A & 4B.” (first class of course)

How does Delta allow this? Becuase it has to. It cannot ask questions beyond:

  • Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
  • What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?

As long as you can answer those questions, you are entitled to bring your dog onboard for free and need not present any sort of medical paperwork or proof of training.

Per the Air Carrier Access Act, multiple service dogs are allowed:

Generally, yes. Some people with disabilities may use more than one service animal to perform different tasks. For example, a person who has a visual disability and a seizure disorder may use one service animal to assist with way-finding and another that is trained as a seizure alert dog.

But the number of dogs can be limited to two.

Until the FAA changes the rules not much can be done. There needs to be a federal certification program for service dogs and then the FAA can require that certification

Sadly, it will probably take a fake service dog mauling a child or jumping on, knocking over, and injuring an elderly person, or perhaps a dog defecating all over the floor next to an immune-compromised seatmate for the rules to change.

All of these events are tragically foreseeable…and they will happen at one point as we see the number of “service” dogs onboard (so often flying in first class because those with more money think the rules do not apply them) proliferate.

I’m not anti-dog. I’m anti-fake service dog on airplanes. It’s not a coincidence that the fake service dogs typically are larger dogs like this, who are not allowed to otherwise fly in a passenger cabin because they cannot fit in a pet carrier.

Unethical people are ruining it for the folks who really need a service dog. Sooner or later, the whole system is going to crumble.


image: reddit // hat tip: View From The Wing

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