Crossing the line from pet to service animal

Crossing the line from pet to service animal

Gary Stoller
USA TODAY

Frequent business travelers and at least one airline say they have noticed an uptick in the number of service dogs in aircraft cabins, raising questions for others as to whether a number of dogs that are truly pets are being passed off as service dogs.

Such fliers don’t want keep their dogs in a carrier case in the cabin or aim to avoid paying a fee for their pets, says Jeanne Hampl of the Assistance Dog Club of Puget Sound in Gig Harbor, Wash.

“There’s so much fraud out there,” says Hampl, secretary of the club, which helps members train service animals. “People do it all the time — say it’s a service dog when it’s not — and create so many access problems for people with legitimate service animals.”

People with a legitimate need for a service dog may include blind individuals, paraplegics, amputees and others with “visible disabilities,” but travelers with “invisible” disabilities — such as hearing or emotional problems, diabetes or seizures — may also need them, Hampl says.

Department of Transportation regulations require airlines to allow service dogs on flights without charge.

According to the regulations, [...]

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