A Word On Taking Pets Everywhere
The Tricky Balance Of Service and Support Animals
What our animals can be trained to do and what they can intuit to help humans is amazing!
Service and support animals can make such a huge positive impact in the daily lives of their humans. They often allow individuals to live a full life instead of being on the sidelines. These animals can provide guidance for the blind, alert regarding an impending seizure or diabetic crisis, alleviate crippling panic-attacks associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and so much more.
But there has also been rampant abuse of the privilege of taking pets everywhere with a fraudulent vest and paperwork purchased online. In some cases mental health professionals sign off on an airline’s emotional support animal documentation so the owner can avoid having to pay separate airfare for Muffy to travel to Grandma’s house.
With the rise in the number of animals traveling or simply being out and about in stores and other locations, there has been a concurrent rise in problems from those animals, such as aggression, biting and other issues. Remember the emotional support peacock that hit the news last year?
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, service dogs (and miniature horses) are recognized as animals specially trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. These include physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual or other mental disabilities.
Emotional support animals are more vaguely defined. They include “animals of any species for which the use of is supported by a qualified physician, psychiatrist or other mental health professional on the basis of a disability-related need” and fall under the Fair Housing Act and the Air Carrier Access Act.
It is loopholes in those last two acts that have led to many pets being defined as emotional support animals. For many cats, dogs and other creatures without proper training and sensitization, being taken away from home, riding on a plane or being in the middle of a large university class or living in a college dorm can be highly stressful. It’s not therapeutic for them.
As a veterinarian, I cannot really ask for details and we cannot know what is impacting the lives of our clients. But I do try to counsel when that pet and planned travel might be a mismatch – sometimes well-received and other times not so much.
Additionally, as pet owners we should all understand and be accommodating that either personally or due to allergies, many people don’t want to be around animals nor be forced to travel in close proximity. Airlines limit how many animals can travel on each flight to help lessen issues.
We love our pets and each is a special family member, but I worry that the poor decision-making and selfish choices of some humans are going to lead to rules and regulations that jeopardize or limit those who truly need their service or support animals to travel with them.
Dr. Margot Vahrenwald is the owner of Park Hill Veterinary Medical Center at 2255 Oneida St. For more information, visit www.parkhillvet.com