We’ll give you a thorough rundown of everything you need to know in this post about traveling with your service dog or psychiatric service dog (PSD).
Recently, the U. S. Regulations for assistance animals on airplanes have been completely revised by the Department of Transportation (DOT). Due to the DOT’s latest rules, U. S. airlines no longer allow emotional support animals on planes.
The good news is that their canine companions are still safe for service dog and PSD owners. Service animals are still permitted to travel free of charge in the cabin with their owners. However, the DOT has fundamentally altered the procedure for how airlines accept service dogs.
Even if you have owned a service dog for many years and have flown with them, you should read this guide. This manual is also ideal for those who are unfamiliar with flying with a service dog and need to be aware of all pertinent details.
We’ll respond to frequent inquiries such as who is qualified to travel with a service dog, what the updated documentation needs are, and how to order a certification, license, or ID. We’ll also provide some expert advice from service dog owners with experience on navigating airports and flights. Table of Contents:
First, let’s cover the basics. What qualifies a service animal for special consideration when traveling by plane in the eyes of the DOT?
The Americans with Disabilities Act’s (ADA) definition of service animals has essentially been adopted by the DOT.
Any dog, regardless of breed, that has been specially trained to do work or perform tasks for someone with a disability, including psychiatric and mental disabilities, qualifies as a service animal for the purposes of air travel.
Emotional support animals and other animals other than dogs are not considered to be “service animals.” The DOT believed that dogs were the most suitable service animals for the interior of an airplane cabin, which is unfortunate news for owners of service animals like capuchin monkeys or miniature horses.
A service dog must be trained to carry out tasks associated with the handler’s disability, which is a key distinction between a service dog and a regular pet or an ESA. Therefore, until its training is complete, even a service dog in training is not regarded as a full-fledged service dog. Click the button below if you want to register your service animal and are prepared to order an identification card for your service dog. 2. What does it mean to have a “disability”?.
A service dog brought on a flight needs to be qualified to help someone with a disability. According to DOT regulations and the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), the term “disability” has a specific legal definition.
A physical or mental impairment that significantly restricts one or more major life activities is referred to as a disability. Working, sleeping, learning, and other necessary life activities are considered “major life activities.”
The term “disability” encompasses both mental and physical impairments (such as limited mobility or vision impairment). Mental illness, emotional disorders, and particular learning disabilities are all considered “mental impairments.”
Additionally, “psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental” disabilities are specifically mentioned in the new DOT regulations. People with conditions like severe depression, anxiety, PTSD, phobias, and autism frequently use psychiatric service dogs.
You can determine if you have a psychiatric disability with the aid of a qualified mental health professional. PSD letters from therapists and physicians who have examined their mental health are often obtained by PSD owners. The owners of PSDs are still protected even though emotional support animals are no longer accepted as assistance animals for flights.
But keep in mind that a key distinction between ESAs and PSDs is that a psychiatric service dog needs to be trained to carry out tasks. ESAs, on the other hand, offer assistance simply by being present. Want to know if your emotional condition qualifies for a psychiatric service dog? Have a qualified health professional evaluate you. 3. What jobs are performed by service dogs and psychiatric service dogs?
There are many different tasks that service dogs can complete, so it would be impossible to provide an exhaustive list here. There is no official list of eligible tasks. The service dog must specifically be trained to carry out the task to help the owner with their disability, according to the main requirements.
Work that service dogs do for people with physical disabilities includes pulling wheelchairs. Guiding the visually impaired. Guiding the hearing impaired. Alerting the owner of an oncoming seizure. Notifying the owner when blood sugar levels change ensuring stability when ascending and descending stairs or through other risky situations Retrieving items. Opening and closing doors and drawers. Pressing buttons (such as in an elevator). Carrying bags and other objects.
Psychiatric service dogs are known to carry out tasks like: Interrupting panic/anxiety attacks for people with psychiatric disabilities. Using pressure and tactile stimulation to calm the handler. Reminding the owner to take their medication. Preventing behaviors like scratching. During a panic or anxiety attack, grounding and reorienting the handler Acting as a physical buffer in crowded areas. Waking up the handler to prevent oversleeping. Interrupting repetitive behaviors.
A dog must complete all of its training before it can be considered a service animal. Remember that a suitable service animal must be under your control at all times, have passed a public access test, and be at ease in all public places.
Airports and airplanes are crowded, busy places with lots of distractions. Even in potentially stressful situations, a service dog should be able to concentrate on the handler and their tasks.
An airline may refuse a service dog if it misbehaves or causes disruptions, as we’ll go into more detail about later. 4. Does a PSD or service dog have to undergo formal training before receiving certification from a body?
There is no requirement for a service dog to be trained by a third-party trainer, institution, or group. Although the DOT points out that “service animal users are free to train their own dogs to perform a task or function for them,” these services may be beneficial, especially for new dog owners. ”.
That is good news for those who can train their service animals but lack the resources to hire a professional trainer or receive assistance from a group.
Additionally, a service dog does not require certification from a body that it has finished its training. Service dog registrations and certifications are never required and are always optional. 5. How will an airline know if I’m traveling with a service animal?
The DOT provides airlines with three ways to assess whether a passenger is taking a real service animal. Additionally, as we’ll cover in the following section, airlines will demand that service dog owners fill out a new DOT form before boarding.
Asking if the dog is required to travel with the passenger due to a disability and what work or task the dog has been trained to perform are two other ways the airline staff can confirm your canine companion is a service dog. It’s crucial to remember that owners of service dogs have a certain amount of privacy rights. No specific questions about your disability or requests that you have your service dog perform the task for which it has been trained will ever be made by airline staff. Observing the behavior of the animal. The service dog’s general behavior can be observed by airline staff to determine whether it remains under the handler’s control. If a service dog is out of control, persistently growling or barking at other passengers or animals, biting, jumping on, or injuring others, or urinating or defecating in the cabin or gate area, the dog may be prohibited from flying. The DOT claims that a dog’s disruptive behavior of this nature indicates that it has not been successfully trained to behave in public settings. In such cases, the airline can deny boarding. Looking at physical indicators such as harnesses and vests. Last but not least, an airline may consider physical cues like harnesses, vests,
The newly developed DOT forms are possibly the biggest change to how service dogs are permitted on flights.
U. S. All service dog owners must fill out and submit the DOT’s “Service Animal Transportation Form” (the “Transport Form”) before flying. Before leaving, this form must be submitted at least 48 hours in advance. The form can be turned in before the flight or at the gate if the reservation is made less than 48 hours before departure.)
The service dog or PSD handler must certify the following information on the DOT Form: The service dog or PSD has been specially trained to carry out tasks for the benefit of the passenger with a disability; The service dog has been trained to behave appropriately in public; The handler is aware that the service dog must be under their control at all times; The handler is aware that if their service dog misbehaves in a way that indicates it ha
The handler must attest that their service dog has received all necessary vaccinations. The form requests the name and contact information of a veterinarian but does not call for the doctor to sign it.
The DOT Transportation Form also requests the name of the dog’s trainer, which, if it was only the owner or handler who trained the dog, can be omitted.
The form is self-certifying, which means the handler must personally complete all attestations and sign the document.
All airlines will use the DOT’s form, which eliminates the confusion that existed when each airline used its own unique form in the past. Below is a copy of the DOT Transport Form for your reference.
The “Service Animal Relief Attestation Form” (also known as the “Relief Form”) is an additional form that the DOT mandates for flights lasting more than eight hours in length in addition to the Transport Form.
The handler must attest on the Relief Form that their service dog will either (i) not need to relieve itself while on the flight, (ii) can do so without endangering other passengers’ health or sanitation, (iii) refrain from doing so, or (iv) relieve itself without endangering other passengers’ health or sanitation (for instance, by using a dog diaper).
This form, which is self-certifying like the Transport Form, is only necessary for flights lasting more than eight hours. Below is a copy of the Relief Form for your reference.
Make sure your airline has received the DOT Transportation Form before you head to the airport.
Some airlines allow submission of the form via a link on their website, while others only accept it via email. You can bring the form with you to the airport and give it to an airline representative if you booked your flight less than 48 hours before departure.
If you travel with a service dog, it’s a good idea to arrive earlier than usual. To ensure that the airline counter has your DOT Transportation Form, you must check in there. Your service dog may also be inspected by airline staff to make sure it’s tidy, well-behaved, and in your control.
It’s a good idea to have a paper or digital copy of your DOT Transportation Form with you while at the airport in case anyone requests one. Remember that employees at airports and airlines can confirm you have a service dog by asking you two questions:
1. Is the service dog required because of a disability?2. What job or duty has the dog been taught to carry out?
No other inquiries may be made, no details regarding your condition may be requested, and your dog may not be required to perform any tasks by airline or airport personnel. As the owner of a service dog, you have the right to secrecy and dignity.
Your service dog should always be tethered or harnessed while at the airport and during your flight. Service animals that are not fully in control of their handlers may be removed from an airport or aircraft.
It can also be very useful to have service dog accessories while at the airport, as we’ll go over in the following section. 8. Does my service dog require an ID card, vest, or harness?
The DOT permits airline personnel to determine whether an animal is a service dog by looking at things like harnesses, vests, and tags. Due to the fact that they set their working dogs apart from regular pets, these items are popular among owners of service dogs.
They might facilitate awkward interactions with clients and staff members and stop intrusive questions about why the dog is there. These add-ons can be especially useful for people with invisible disabilities who own psychiatric service dogs.
However, as a reminder, these requirements alone do not constitute eligibility for a service dog and are only for fully-trained service dogs. When deciding whether a dog is a service dog, airlines may consider other factors in addition to the presence of service dog equipment.
Practically speaking, service dog owners find these gadgets especially useful in crowded places with strange people, like airports and airplane cabins. They make it simple for staff at the airport, the airline, and other travelers to see that you are boarding with a service dog. 9. Can my service dog travel with me if it’s that big?
Many service dogs are larger breeds like German Shepherds or Golden Retrievers. Although there isn’t a set weight restriction for service animals, airlines may insist that they fit in the handler’s foot space or on the passenger’s lap.
According to the DOT’s new regulations, airlines must accommodate larger animals by moving them, whenever possible (for example, if there is a seat next to an empty seat), to another seat location within the same service class where the animal can be accommodated.
The airline is required to give the handler the option to transport the service dog in the cargo hold for no additional cost or travel on a later flight if there is room in the cabin for that flight if there is nowhere to comfortably fit a larger service dog.
Most owners of service dogs would be adamantly against allowing their animals to fly as cargo. Thankfully, a lot of bigger service dogs can still be trained to fit in the foot space for a passenger on an airplane. 10. Can an airline refuse to take my service dog because of its breed?
The DOT’s new regulations state that an airline cannot forbid a service dog just because of its breed. The DOT forbids airlines from stereotyping specific breeds because it acknowledges that all canines can be useful service dogs.
As we’ll cover in a later section, if the service dog is behaving aggressively or disruptively, the airline may still refuse boarding. 11. Can I bring more than one service dog aboard?.
Some handlers have multiple service animals, each of which performs a vital but distinct task related to their disability. Airlines are permitted to limit the number of service dogs a handler can bring onboard to two under the new DOT regulations.
The handler must also be able to comfortably fit both service dogs in their lap or foot space. If a handler has two large service dogs, they might want to think about taking extra measures to make sure that they can fit.
For instance, the handler might want to think about buying an extra seat or choosing a less popular flight on a flight that is likely to be full with no open seats. Otherwise, they run the risk of having to confine their service dog to cargo, which is unacceptable to a lot of service dog owners. 12. What rules apply to my service dog during the flight?.
Even if using these items would interfere with the service animal’s job or the passenger’s disability forbids using them, the airline has the right to require the service dog to be harnessed, leashed, or tethered at all times during the flight. This is a stricter approach than the ADA, permitting a person with a disability to use voice commands or other signals when necessary.
Owners of service dogs should bring a harness, leash, or tether with them on flights and prepare for the possibility that their canine companion will need to be restrained both in flight and at the airport gate.
Additionally, as previously stated, all service animals must behave properly throughout the flight and not cause any major disruptions. That includes refraining from barking, tripping over people, acting belligerently, or urinating or fecesing in public.
The owner is liable for any damages the service dog may cause to the aircraft cabin. 13. When may an airline refuse to let a service animal board?
An airline may refuse to let a service animal board in four main circumstances: The animal directly endangers the health or safety of other passengers Airlines are required to conduct an “individualized assessment” of the service dog. For instance, they can’t rely on beliefs about the breed of service dogs. The airline must also think about whether any mitigating actions can be taken, such as using a muzzle to quiet a service dog that is barking The service dog is significantly disruptive, or its behavior suggests that it hasn’t received the proper training for being in public If a service dog is running loose, barking or growling at people, biting or jumping up on people, or urinating or defecating in the open, an airline may consider that the dog has not been properly trained. The service dog’s transportation would be against a foreign government’s safety or health regulations. When traveling internationally, it’s crucial to be aware of the country’s requirements regarding the transport of service animals. For instance, some nations might demand details about the health and vaccination history of the service dog. The traveler has not submitted a Transport Form or Relief Form to the DOT. As previously mentioned, owners of service dogs must submit the
Any airline that declines to accept your service dog must give you a written explanation of why within 10 days of their decision. 14. What are some additional useful pointers for traveling with a service dog?
It can be unnerving and intimidating to take your service dog or PSD on your first flight. However, you need not worry as thousands of service dog owners travel every day without incident and your rights are protected by federal laws.
Here are some helpful advice and safety measures to remember to make your trip go smoothly:Tip #1: If necessary, take your dog to the veterinarian before your departure date to make sure they are healthy and up to date on their vaccinations. Your service dog’s vaccination record must be verified on the DOT’s Transport Form, and the DOT will also request your veterinarian’s contact information. Tip #2: You can navigate a busy airport and a crowded airplane cabin with the aid of vests, tags, ID cards, harnesses, and other accessories. Avoid overfeeding your service dog prior to a flight to prevent them from getting airsick and having an unpleasant accident happen during the flight. Tip #4: Submit the DOT’s Transport Form as soon as you can and inform your airline of your service dog. Tip #5: For first-timers, getting to the airport a few hours early can reduce anxiety, particularly if there are unanticipated challenges like a lengthy security line or different gates. There are also numerous stations throughout airports where your service dog can go potty before boarding. The airline may require that your service dog is properly restrained and under your control at all times, so don’t forget to bring a harness, leash, or tether. Remember to place all of your pet’s food, treats, water, and food dishes in easily accessible compartments along with any necessary medications and grooming supplies. Is there anything else I should keep in mind?.
The new DOT regulations became effective on January 11, 2021. While it’s crucial to be aware of the guidelines we’ve covered in this guide, you should also get in touch with the airline you’ll be flying with to confirm that you are familiar with their policies and have submitted all necessary paperwork.
Tips for flying with your service dog
Arrive as early as possible. For example, Allegiant Air recommends arriving at least two hours before your departure time.
Submit your DOT form as early as possible. You might be questioned further about your service dog by an airline representative, such as what functions it carries out. Passengers frequently receive denial letters; you’ll need time to address the situation before your departure.
Alert the airline that you have a service dog. Look for a way to mention that you have a service dog when booking a flight. This can be done, for instance, on the Allegiant website by selecting “special assistance ”.
Make sure your dog is up to date on vaccinations. A section on the Service Animal Air Transportation Form attests to the health of the dog and includes information like the date of the dog’s most recent rabies vaccination and its expiration date.
Your dog doesnt have to be small to fly. Do not worry if your service dog cannot fit under the seat in front of you.
The Department further emphasizes that larger service animals are not necessarily prohibited from an aircraft if they do not fit in their handler’s foot space, according to the final rule. The final rule maintains the requirement that carriers accommodate such animals by relocating them to a different seat location within the same class of service where the animal can be accommodated, if available. For example, if available, a seat next to an empty seat on the aircraft. “.
To make sure your dog has enough room, you can buy it a seat.
So, I can bring my emotional support animal?
Most likely, unless it’s a strange animal like a snake, reptile, ferret, rodent, sugar glider, or spider. Animals that are too large or heavy to fit in the cabin, pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others, or may significantly disrupt cabin service may also be prohibited by airlines. Additionally, the ACAA mandates that only dogs be transported by foreign airlines as service animals.
Can you fly with emotional support dogs?
The DOT’s final rule “excludes all animals that have not been trained for a specific task, including emotional support animals, comfort animals, and service animals that are in training.” ”.
However, airlines are permitted to transport emotional support animals at no additional cost, at their discretion. Many airlines treat emotional support animals the same as other pets, with the exception of United Airlines and American Airlines, which charge additional fees and typically require them to be kept in carriers.
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FAQ
How strict are airlines about service dogs?
Airlines cannot deny you boarding because your service animal bothers other passengers or the flight crew. Your service animal must behave properly. An animal that engages in disruptive behavior (ex. running around, growling or snarling, jumping onto other passengers, etc.
Under what conditions can airlines refuse to carry service dogs?
Animals that are too large or heavy to fit in the cabin, pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others, or may significantly disrupt cabin service may also be prohibited by airlines. Additionally, the ACAA mandates that only dogs be transported by foreign airlines as service animals.
Can an airline ask you what your service dog is for?
In order to confirm a dog is a service animal, airline employees are permitted to observe the dog’s behavior, ask “whether the animal is required to accompany the passenger because of a disability and what work or task the animal has been trained to perform,” and look for physical indicators like harnesses and vests.
Can airlines ban service dogs?
Allows airlines to continue refusing transportation to service animals that behave aggressively and pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others; Permits airlines to require that service animals be harnessed, leashed, or tethered at all times in the airport and on the aircraft;