This is really a hot topic for me. I fly a lot and have flown with quite a few real service dogs who I did not know were even on the plane until we landed and were exiting the plane. The real service dogs are amazing. All the ones I’ve seen were large dogs (although I know some organizations that train small ones) who could fold themselves up into a small space and remain there quietly for quite a long time. I have no problem with these dogs traveling but then I’d rather have a dog than a baby next to me. I’ve also flown with military working dogs who were indeed muzzled. Again, wouldn’t have known the dog was there if I hadn’t caught a glimpse of it.
The number of fake service animals and ESAs I seen in the airport keeps going up. The day before Thanksgiving I almost broke a leg in a very busy, very large airport as I was headed for my plane. A young retriever in a vest was on the end of a long leash looking nervous while a woman held the leash, oblivious to the fact that you don’t let a dog have six feet of leash in a busy place. The number of pet dogs I see in the airport out of their under seat carriers is ridiculous too. If you want to travel with your dogs you need to follow the rules. And as much as I love my dogs, I know not everybody else does.
I do feel sorry for the flight crews (and the employees of stores, restaurants, etc) who have to deal with this mess. It’s inconsiderate and idiotic to think you should be able to sneak your dogs in places where dogs aren’t allowed by passing them off as service dogs. I would love to take my dogs more places but they aren’t allowed most places so I seek out places that do welcome them. I always ask if it’s ok to sit on a restaurant patio with them. Even in places that do allow them (the feed store, the outdoor mall) I keep them on a short leash and I’m careful not to let them approach people unless people want to visit with them. If they make a mess I apologize and clean it up.
It’s just basic good manners - like not letting your kid stare at strangers over the back of a booth in a restaurant or not letting them run around a restaurant where they can trip servers carrying trays of food. When we stay in a hotel that allows dogs I try to be exceedingly considerate. I even bring an old sheet to throw on the bed to protect the hotel’s bedding from dog hair because my dogs sleep on the bed. If we want our dogs to be allowed in more places we need to be considerate and respectful of the places that do allow them.
Both of my dogs have passed their CGC. One has passed her therapy dog test. I would take her on a plane if it were allowed because I know she’d behave and she’d probably make a lot of people happy (that’s what she does in her work as a therapy dog). But I would never pass her off as a service dog or an ESA. It’s just wrong. One of my friends brought her therapy dog into a restaurant on a cross-country trip because it was too hot for the dog to stay in the car. I told her what I thought of that. I’ve been in that situation myself and eaten at McDonalds because I could eat in the car with the A/C running or I could sit outside with the dog.
I think the whole service dog/ESA thing is going to explode at some point in the not too distant future. These dogs need to be evaluated and registered and reevaluated periodically. They need to wear an ID with a picture of them. They need to be chipped. And they need a three strikes and you’re out rule or something similar. My therapy dog and I (the dog/handler team) passed a pretty extensive test to make sure she’s suitable for the work she does and we need to retest every two years. I had to pass a written test and she had to be examined by a veterinarian. If something occurs while we’re working I gave to file an incident report. That’s just to be able to visit people in hospitals or work with kids in schools. To be able to walk through an airport the day before Thanksgiving and be on a plane for a cross-country trip? You bet the service dogs should have to pass a test.
I have great respect for the real service dogs and I understand the services they perform for people who really need them. It pisses me off that some idiot who thinks he should be able to take his dog anywhere jeopardizes the right of someone who really needs a service dog to be able to take that service dog anywhere.
On on the other hand, I wish the US were more like some of the European countries in regards to dogs. I’ve been in many a cafe or coffee shop in Europe and seen dogs in there with their owners, resting quietly and incredibly well-behaved. But then, most of the children in Europe tend to be better behaved than the majority of kids in the US.
