Emotional Support Goats?
An article published some time ago in the New York Times described a growing epidemic: unqualified service dogs.
Back in 2003 the Department of Public Transportation ruled that emotional support animals for people with illnesses like depression and anxiety have as much right on planes as service dogs for people with physical disabilities.
This sounds fair. For individuals who own dogs that are trained to, say, alert others when their owner is about to have a panic attack, this law enables them to travel with their support dog. However, people have begun to exploit the situation by bringing untrained, uncertified “emotional support” animals on planes. What’s more, this phenomenon is spreading to restaurants, retail stores, hotels, and apartments.
According to Beth Landman’s article “Wagging the Dog, and a Finger”, people are bringing all sorts of unqualified support animals, including “monkeys, miniature horses, cats, and even an emotional support duck.” In addition, there have been two instances at airlines of people bringing their emotional support goats along for the trip.
According to Joan Foling, chairwoman of the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners, there is a clear difference between service dogs, which perform physical tasks that their owners are unable to carry out, and emotional support dogs. While emotional support is a very broad term, these support animals should be trained and certified to carry out tasks for their owners which directly help them do things they could not do in their animal’s absence. When it comes to emotional support, the way in which the animals help is harder to define.
Service animals need special training to assist their owners with tasks they are unable to do themselves. Many people are trying to get certifications for their dogs to be service animals, when they have no special training that would merit certification.
The Americans with Disabilities Act strove to put as few regulations on service animals, since there are countless tasks they can complete for the disabled who are unable to do so. Also, animals other than dogs can be trained to help humans. Now, this openness, which was meant to help people with disabilities, is enabling people to certify unqualified service animals.
This practice is not only unfair to people who truly need service dogs to enable them to live independently, it also makes light of mental illness. Using it as an opportunity to bring your pet along on a flight, or to dinner makes mental illness more of an excuse, than a legitimate medical condition.
posted by Chrisa Andrade
Back in 2003 the Department of Public Transportation ruled that emotional support animals for people with illnesses like depression and anxiety have as much right on planes as service dogs for people with physical disabilities.
This sounds fair. For individuals who own dogs that are trained to, say, alert others when their owner is about to have a panic attack, this law enables them to travel with their support dog. However, people have begun to exploit the situation by bringing untrained, uncertified “emotional support” animals on planes. What’s more, this phenomenon is spreading to restaurants, retail stores, hotels, and apartments.
According to Beth Landman’s article “Wagging the Dog, and a Finger”, people are bringing all sorts of unqualified support animals, including “monkeys, miniature horses, cats, and even an emotional support duck.” In addition, there have been two instances at airlines of people bringing their emotional support goats along for the trip.
According to Joan Foling, chairwoman of the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners, there is a clear difference between service dogs, which perform physical tasks that their owners are unable to carry out, and emotional support dogs. While emotional support is a very broad term, these support animals should be trained and certified to carry out tasks for their owners which directly help them do things they could not do in their animal’s absence. When it comes to emotional support, the way in which the animals help is harder to define.
Service animals need special training to assist their owners with tasks they are unable to do themselves. Many people are trying to get certifications for their dogs to be service animals, when they have no special training that would merit certification.
The Americans with Disabilities Act strove to put as few regulations on service animals, since there are countless tasks they can complete for the disabled who are unable to do so. Also, animals other than dogs can be trained to help humans. Now, this openness, which was meant to help people with disabilities, is enabling people to certify unqualified service animals.
This practice is not only unfair to people who truly need service dogs to enable them to live independently, it also makes light of mental illness. Using it as an opportunity to bring your pet along on a flight, or to dinner makes mental illness more of an excuse, than a legitimate medical condition.
posted by Chrisa Andrade
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