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Ruff news, animal lover.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced that emotional support animals will no longer be considered service animals on flights, updating its final rule on the controversial subject of travel.
The DOT shared the news in a press release on Wednesday, explaining that the revised Air Carrier Access Act followed more than 15,000 comments on the proposal, which was first launched in January.
The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced that emotional support animals will no longer be considered service animals.
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“The final rule announced today addresses concerns raised by people with disabilities, airlines, flight attendants, airports, other air transport operators and other members of the public regarding service animals on planes, ”the agency said.
Henceforth, the DOT will define a service animal as “a dog that is individually trained to perform a job or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability”.
While the DOT “no longer considers an emotional service animal to be a service animal,” the ministry will require airlines to “treat psychiatric service animals the same as other service animals “.
Going forward, the Department will allow airlines to require DOT-approved forms confirming a service animal’s health, behavior and training prior to travel, and allowing carriers to limit the number to two. service animals traveling with a single passenger.
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In addition, the DOT has given airlines permission to require a service animal to adapt to its driver’s foot space on the plane, and to require the animal to be hitched, leashed or strapped in at all times on the aircraft and in the airport during the travel trip.
DOT further supports a carrier’s agency by denying transport to aggressively acting service animals, while prohibiting airlines from refusing to transport a service animal based on breed.
The subject of emotional support and service animals on planes was a major hot topic on travel in 2018, after an emotional support peacock named Dexter and his owner were denied boarding on a United Airlines flight. Months later, a French Bulldog died in the skies after being accidentally placed in a suspended bin by a United Airlines flight attendant for the duration of the trip. From there, the emotional support cats, squirrels and hamsters continued to make headlines and spark debate.
Various carriers have since tightened the leash on their respective rules regarding the transport of emotional support and assistance animals; the latest DOT update will be a game-changer in politics.
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A spokesperson for the department did not immediately return Fox News’ request for comment.
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