Service dogs on flights are not uncommon, but, while they are usually smaller to midsize breeds, one woman has stunned internet users with her service animal.
Pietra Luccas, 27, was flying from San Francisco, California, to Miami, Florida, in April with some friends and her service dog, Charlie. However, this is no small lapdog, although he may think he is, but rather, the largest dog breed of all. That’s right: Charlie is a 4-year-old Great Dane and certainly requires plenty of space.
The towering dog undoubtedly captures attention wherever he goes. Luccas, who resides in San Francisco, told Newsweek that people in the airport, cabin crew, and many fellow passengers are “always extremely happy to see Charlie” whenever she travels with him.
Luccas shared footage of the moment she and Charlie boarded a Delta flight on Instagram (@pietra_luccas), and the clip went viral with over 45.6 million views and more than 1 million likes at the time of writing.
Pietra Luccas, 27, boards a Delta flight from San Francisco with her Great Dane service dog.
@pietra_luccas / Instagram
“I didn’t have any difficulty getting him on board,” Luccas said. “I always buy three seats, but, in this case, the cabin crew wanted me to have the front seat with more leg room for Charlie.”
She continued: “There are passengers who don’t like it, and I understand that. But that’s why I buy the three seats for us. During the flight, Charlie is trained to be quiet. He pretty much sleeps most of the time.”
As of March 2011, only dogs are recognized as service animals by The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and they must be trained to work or perform tasks for a handler with a disability. This may include guiding someone who is blind; pulling a wheelchair; calming a person during an anxiety attack; or reminding them to take medication.
Service dogs are permitted to accompany their handler in public spaces where people are allowed, but they must be under control.
While staff aren’t permitted to ask about a person’s disability, they can ask if the dog is a service animal, and what work or task they are trained to perform. They cannot ask for the dog to demonstrate this, however. Allergies or fears are not valid reasons to deny access to someone with a service animal, the ADA states.
Luccas said that, before flying with Charlie, she checks with the airline to ensure that his training and documentation allow him to travel.
Once people overcome the shock at seeing Charlie’s size, they often try to pet the service dog. However, Luccas told Newsweek that she always tries to prevent anyone from doing so, “since he is working” and shouldn’t be distracted.
For those who aren’t happy about her taking a Great Dane on flights, Luccas said that he “is a need” for her, and she isn’t fazed by their opinions.
“When you’re flying from a public airport, you have to accept other people’s needs. I have a hard time having to spend six hours inside a plane with kids crying, but I also understand the situation. You don’t have to like it, but you do have to respect it,” Luccas continued.
Since the video of Charlie went viral on Instagram, it has gained more than 26,600 comments in just a matter of days.
One comment reads: “I mean, at this point, that’s a whole ticket.”
Another Instagram user wrote: “Who brings a horse on an airplane?”
A third person joked: “I’m OK as long as she sits next to me!”
One comment read: “This should not be allowed … this is getting ridiculous.”
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