“Total BS”: Passengers Tired Of “Fake Service Dogs” Causing Trouble On Flights
Interview
Last Saturday (April 6), Redditor u/Rota8or snapped a photo of an unexpected passenger aboard his flight from New York to Madrid: a Great Dane sitting on top of his owner, secured in a purple harness.
“Isn’t there a size or weight limit? The dog snapped at someone and four flight attendants plus the pilot came to check out the dog. They made them hold the dog on a leash, but really?” the Delta passenger wrote.
- A Great Dane in a harness caused disruption on a Delta flight, snapping at a passenger.
- Passengers voice complaints on Reddit about "fake service dogs" causing stress during flights.
- Service animals are allowed in plane cabins regardless of size, contrasting with pet travel rules.
u/Rota8or isn’t the only passenger to have expressed their irritation towards large dogs disrupting other flyers in the cabin. In the past few days, many have taken to Reddit to denounce how people’s furry companions have ruined their travel experiences.
A group of plane passengers have taken to Reddit to voice their complaints about untrained dogs traveling in the cabin
Image credits: Svitlana/stock.adobe.com
“My wife is blind. She has a very highly-trained guide dog that is life-changing for her. These fake service dogs make every trip stressful as they are clearly not trained and result in people assuming every service dog is fake,” someone else wrote on the social network.
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, service dogs are specially trained to perform specific tasks for people with disabilities. These disabilities can be physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or mental.
Most airlines don’t charge passengers for traveling with service animals. This is because service animals aren’t considered pets, given their vital role to their owners.
Another difference from pets is that service dogs are allowed in the cabin regardless of their size. In contrast, regular cats or dogs are required to travel inside a carrier that must fit underneath the seat directly in front of the passenger.
Many suspect the owners have falsely claimed their furry friends as service animals
Image credits: Certain_Monitor8688
Still, there are some rules for flying with service dogs. On Delta flights, “trained service animals are expected to be seated in the floor space below a customer’s seat or seated in a customer’s lap. They are not permitted to occupy seats,” the airline’s website states.
Consequently, “the size of the animal must not exceed the ‘footprint’ of the passenger’s seat.”
A further requirement for service dogs is that they “must be properly cleaned and must not have a foul odor.”
But how do airlines verify that a person’s Weimaraner or Labrador is a service animal and not merely a beloved pet they can’t spend five days without? This is where the gray areas appear.
Airlines don’t consider service animals as pets, so they don’t charge passengers for traveling with them
There’s no way that’s a real service dog.
byu/Certain_Monitor8688 inunitedairlines
Companies like American Airlines, Delta, and United Airlines require customers to complete the U.S. DOT Service Animal Air Travel Form for validation prior to their flight to attest to the animal’s health, training, and behavior.
In the form, flyers must check certain boxes, such as “Service Animal has been trained to behave in a public setting” and “I understand that a properly trained dog does not act aggressively by biting, barking, jumping, lunging, or injuring people or other animals. It does not urinate or defecate on the aircraft or in the gate area.”
American Airlines’ website states that the airline’s “team members are trained to ask certain questions to determine if your animal is a service animal acceptable for travel” in addition to asking flyers to fill out the U.S. Department of Transportation form, which must be approved.
However, as many Redditors have shared, it seems that people have found a way to bypass these controls.
Multiple companies require passengers to fill out a form attesting to the dog’s health, training, and behavior
Image credits: rota8or
“Last summer, I had a large breed in the bulkhead row ahead of me. The couple was heading to Tulum for the summer. They were openly bragging about how they got the service animal status and drugged the dog for the flight,” one person wrote.
A separate post, titled “There’s no way that’s a real service dog,” shows a golden retriever sitting on the aisle of a United Airlines flight. The camera then shifts to the Redditor’s own service dog, which remains within the confines of their seat.
There have also been reports of not-so-hygienic situations in the cabin after a passenger’s dog couldn’t hold it until the end of the flight.
A United Airlines passenger shared how a dog’s “messy incident” in the first class section of a five-hour flight from Houston to Seattle resulted in the flight being diverted to Dallas Fort Worth Airport.
“Ground crew spent over 2 hours cleaning carpets with paper towels. Smell made me ill. Gate agents kept yelling at passengers and the cabin crew. The smell never quite went away,” the Reddit user wrote.
“First class toilet was declared unusable as the dog mess was apparently unresolved in there. Food went bad while on the ground so very few snacks left.”
Still, there have been reports of a messy situation in the cabin of a United Airlines plane
Image credits: gig_wizard
Then, there’s the issue of allergies. Redditor u/Tschank4, who has a severe dog allergy he describes as “borderline anaphylactic,” shared his negative experience onboard a flight from New Jersey to Miami.
“Boarding EWR-MIA now and there’s one [dog] running into the aisle every 10 seconds and can’t sit still,” they penned.
“I understand and appreciate the need for real working dogs but it’s insane that people are able to buy a sh**ty vest on Amazon and have their disruptive dog occupying a very large amount of space on the plane, including other passengers’ legroom.”
A Delta representative informed Bored Panda via email that there’s no specific guideline on how the airline staff should respond during these kinds of situations.
“Our agents and crews can use situational flexibility to move a nearby customer if requested,” they said. Additionally, they informed that instances where dogs may get aggressive with flyers “are dealt with on a specific case by specific case basis.”
Another passenger with a severe allergy to dogs shared that the “disruptive” animals on his flight were “occupying a very large amount of space”
Image credits: Jeswin Thomas/Unsplash
In conversation with Bored Panda, a spokesperson for American Airlines shed light on the precautions they take to avoid uncomfortable situations for passengers.
As they explained, the airline’s specialized staff always analyze the dog’s behavior prior to boarding.
“Service dogs obviously have to be trained. If airline staff assess that a dog lacks training based on observation and its behavior doesn’t align with documented indications, they reserve the right to refuse the passenger’s request to travel with their animal.”
Furthermore, the spokesperson addressed how the staff would respond to enhance the travel experience for individuals with a dog allergy.
“You cannot control whether a passenger has an allergy. The only thing the staff can do is change the seat of the person who has an allergy so that people travel safely.”
Opinions were divided regarding whether dogs should be allowed in the cabin
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Honestly I think businesses (and airlines are businesses) should simply be allowed to ask for certification that a service animal is indeed an actual accredited service animal such as a seeing eye dog, and be able to refuse any and all animals without such certification.
I just checked and this service dog/animal thing seems to be a US specific thing. For flights that are not non-stop to the US the airline here requires proof that your dog is a trained and accredited assistance dog or fits the requirements for the transportation of small animals in the cabin.
Load More Replies...
I actually think the idea for pet friendly flights and non pet friendly flights is a pretty good idea with restrictions
Honestly, sign me up for a pet friendly flight so I can fly with all the doggos.
Load More Replies... Fake service dogs are most definitely a problem, but to a large extent they are a problem of the airlines own making, as they are failing to provide a reasonable alternative for people traveling with dogs (especially mid to large dogs) other than the cargo hold, and there are airlines that are no longer even allowing for that option.
Fair point but the question is what that alternative would be.
Load More Replies...
It's a problem in retail too. My boss and I both have varying degrees of phobia about dogs (mine is mild, hers is severe), and she runs an adult business that has nothing to do with animals (liquor store). There are a few customers who are adamant about bringing their emotional support animals, unharnessed and unrestrained (and, I strongly suspect, not real service animals) into the store to run around because of their anxiety. Well, what about my anxiety as an employee? What about her anxiety as the business owner? Should people with phobias not be allowed in public? Where do your rights end and mine begin? Can I have an emotional support sword so I feel safer around your untrained emotional support dog?
I feel like there should be a "no leash no entry" sign
Load More Replies... It's not only a flight problem. I know a dog that wears a service dog vest and is supposed to help his vision impaired owner. It's pulling its owner from left to right, onto streets and jumps at everything. Easily in the top 10% untrained dogs. But the owner gets all the legal benefits of a seeing eye dog because noone dares to question them.
Nope not a service dog at all! People think they are being sneaky, but if they ever encountered a real service animal, they would TOTALLY see the difference! The dog is usually by the owner's side, doesn't sniff around, and pays attention to said owner! I have friends who have service dogs from the VA for PTSD, vision issues, legitimate needs, etc. And those dogs don't do what that dog you described,.
Load More Replies...
Ugh. I hate these people. Most of the time it’s not even a well trained fake service dog, it’s a poorly trained nervous wreck.
I volunteer for the National Park Service and there are 2 specific questions we can ask when people present a "service dog." 1.“Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?” 2.“What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?” (Source: ADA) It is ironic that true service dog owners will volunteer to show us the paperwork; while those that do NOT have a true/certified service dog will tell me I do not have permission to ask those questions. I once told a “lady” with a shitsu in a “service dog” vest, that according to the ADA that I could as those questions. She told me that she didn’t know what the ADA was and that it was wrong. I politely told her to take her dog OFF the trail. She threatened to call the police on me, the ranger that was with me said he would be happy to call on the radio for her… she said some not nice things and took her dog back to the car. Sometimes I just want to say “ugh. People.”
Thank you for doing that! I've confronted a couple of blatant abusers and they've claimed that no one is able to ask them due to HIPAA or whatever. I'd love to know what the law is, and does it depend on the state?
Load More Replies...
This practice needs to stop immediately. It is wrong and completely absurd.
Makes me think, similar to adults only venues, I'd love adults only aeroplane flights. Or save up for a charter flight.
Why can't they finally regulate these dogs so that not everyone can just buy a harness and claim theirs is a service dog? I don't see that much of a problem in Europe. Pets are allowed in shops and public transport in some countries and in some there are "dog parking spaces" outside. Nobody needs to false label their dogs. If it is such an issue why not accomodate pets on flights in a regulated manner. Untrained dogs especially the smaller ones actually can get pretty agressive so I still believe they belong in cargo if at all on planes.
Have awful allergies here with dogs and cats. I honestly have not had to ever be on a flight with an unruly dog or quite frankly any dog I have seen nearby. Service dog or not, if I got seated next to someone that had a dog on a flight, the consequence to them is a sneezing neighbor for the duration of the flight. I wonder if leaving your service animal at home and having a chill neighbor would be less stressful than taking your dog with you? Legit question. It seems service animals have become a d**g in many ways, where people rely on them far too much. No offense to people with debilitating issues and service animals do in fact help their nerves and I get that, but you have to be aware not everyone around you is capable of handling your service animal in the same capacity to you, and I can only imagine that would just cause added stress to you. (fyi if you’re blind, I won’t be upset, that’s totally different).
It's not just airlines. I'm sick of tripping over fake service dogs in the supermarket. I even saw one of them pee on a crate of cabbage that was on the floor in the produce section. Oh, and aircraft holds ARE temp and pressure controlled. I've travelled with my dog in a crate in the hold and he was fine.
Someone I know had a horrible growly sausage dog as a “service” dog, it was so poorly trained, I don’t know how they had the audacity to get away with it. But then I saw her walking about around the grounds of where we were staying without any assistance, and standing for hours on end, but when she wanted her dog with her, her stick came out, so I don’t think he was a genuine service dog at all.
Load More Replies...
I am very allergic to dogs and cats. I am fine with either one on a flight. In fact, I own a cat. She makes me a snotty mess, but she's worth every pill and inhaler I have to use.
Here's the thing... In the USA, at least, there's no accreditation or certification for service animals. There's no ONE way to train them. The video that says the golden retriever is NOT a service dog bc it's not behaving like the other dog? You can't know if that dog is working. The owner may have panic disorder or PTSD and need physical diversion. If a dog is barking, it may be alerting an owner to low blood sugar or a seizure. I helped a blind man in Vegas whose seeing eye dog got turned around and he couldn't find his way back. Instead of assuming they're all fake, assume they're all real and don't pet them and don't hassle the owners. (But businesses need to remove ANY dog acting aggressively or not on a leash.)
Panic attack and ptsd animals are categorized as emotional support animals, and do not have nearly the same protections as service animals. A service animal that isn't highly trained and well behaved honestly isn't a service animal. Without that high level of training they can't reliably provide that service and should not be considered a service animal
Load More Replies...
Honestly I think businesses (and airlines are businesses) should simply be allowed to ask for certification that a service animal is indeed an actual accredited service animal such as a seeing eye dog, and be able to refuse any and all animals without such certification.
I just checked and this service dog/animal thing seems to be a US specific thing. For flights that are not non-stop to the US the airline here requires proof that your dog is a trained and accredited assistance dog or fits the requirements for the transportation of small animals in the cabin.
Load More Replies... I actually think the idea for pet friendly flights and non pet friendly flights is a pretty good idea with restrictions
Honestly, sign me up for a pet friendly flight so I can fly with all the doggos.
Load More Replies... Fake service dogs are most definitely a problem, but to a large extent they are a problem of the airlines own making, as they are failing to provide a reasonable alternative for people traveling with dogs (especially mid to large dogs) other than the cargo hold, and there are airlines that are no longer even allowing for that option.
Fair point but the question is what that alternative would be.
Load More Replies... It's a problem in retail too. My boss and I both have varying degrees of phobia about dogs (mine is mild, hers is severe), and she runs an adult business that has nothing to do with animals (liquor store). There are a few customers who are adamant about bringing their emotional support animals, unharnessed and unrestrained (and, I strongly suspect, not real service animals) into the store to run around because of their anxiety. Well, what about my anxiety as an employee? What about her anxiety as the business owner? Should people with phobias not be allowed in public? Where do your rights end and mine begin? Can I have an emotional support sword so I feel safer around your untrained emotional support dog?
I feel like there should be a "no leash no entry" sign
Load More Replies... It's not only a flight problem. I know a dog that wears a service dog vest and is supposed to help his vision impaired owner. It's pulling its owner from left to right, onto streets and jumps at everything. Easily in the top 10% untrained dogs. But the owner gets all the legal benefits of a seeing eye dog because noone dares to question them.
Nope not a service dog at all! People think they are being sneaky, but if they ever encountered a real service animal, they would TOTALLY see the difference! The dog is usually by the owner's side, doesn't sniff around, and pays attention to said owner! I have friends who have service dogs from the VA for PTSD, vision issues, legitimate needs, etc. And those dogs don't do what that dog you described,.
Load More Replies... Ugh. I hate these people. Most of the time it’s not even a well trained fake service dog, it’s a poorly trained nervous wreck.
I volunteer for the National Park Service and there are 2 specific questions we can ask when people present a "service dog." 1.“Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?” 2.“What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?” (Source: ADA) It is ironic that true service dog owners will volunteer to show us the paperwork; while those that do NOT have a true/certified service dog will tell me I do not have permission to ask those questions. I once told a “lady” with a shitsu in a “service dog” vest, that according to the ADA that I could as those questions. She told me that she didn’t know what the ADA was and that it was wrong. I politely told her to take her dog OFF the trail. She threatened to call the police on me, the ranger that was with me said he would be happy to call on the radio for her… she said some not nice things and took her dog back to the car. Sometimes I just want to say “ugh. People.”
Thank you for doing that! I've confronted a couple of blatant abusers and they've claimed that no one is able to ask them due to HIPAA or whatever. I'd love to know what the law is, and does it depend on the state?
Load More Replies... This practice needs to stop immediately. It is wrong and completely absurd.
Makes me think, similar to adults only venues, I'd love adults only aeroplane flights. Or save up for a charter flight.
Why can't they finally regulate these dogs so that not everyone can just buy a harness and claim theirs is a service dog? I don't see that much of a problem in Europe. Pets are allowed in shops and public transport in some countries and in some there are "dog parking spaces" outside. Nobody needs to false label their dogs. If it is such an issue why not accomodate pets on flights in a regulated manner. Untrained dogs especially the smaller ones actually can get pretty agressive so I still believe they belong in cargo if at all on planes.
Have awful allergies here with dogs and cats. I honestly have not had to ever be on a flight with an unruly dog or quite frankly any dog I have seen nearby. Service dog or not, if I got seated next to someone that had a dog on a flight, the consequence to them is a sneezing neighbor for the duration of the flight. I wonder if leaving your service animal at home and having a chill neighbor would be less stressful than taking your dog with you? Legit question. It seems service animals have become a d**g in many ways, where people rely on them far too much. No offense to people with debilitating issues and service animals do in fact help their nerves and I get that, but you have to be aware not everyone around you is capable of handling your service animal in the same capacity to you, and I can only imagine that would just cause added stress to you. (fyi if you’re blind, I won’t be upset, that’s totally different).
It's not just airlines. I'm sick of tripping over fake service dogs in the supermarket. I even saw one of them pee on a crate of cabbage that was on the floor in the produce section. Oh, and aircraft holds ARE temp and pressure controlled. I've travelled with my dog in a crate in the hold and he was fine.
Someone I know had a horrible growly sausage dog as a “service” dog, it was so poorly trained, I don’t know how they had the audacity to get away with it. But then I saw her walking about around the grounds of where we were staying without any assistance, and standing for hours on end, but when she wanted her dog with her, her stick came out, so I don’t think he was a genuine service dog at all.
Load More Replies... I am very allergic to dogs and cats. I am fine with either one on a flight. In fact, I own a cat. She makes me a snotty mess, but she's worth every pill and inhaler I have to use.
Here's the thing... In the USA, at least, there's no accreditation or certification for service animals. There's no ONE way to train them. The video that says the golden retriever is NOT a service dog bc it's not behaving like the other dog? You can't know if that dog is working. The owner may have panic disorder or PTSD and need physical diversion. If a dog is barking, it may be alerting an owner to low blood sugar or a seizure. I helped a blind man in Vegas whose seeing eye dog got turned around and he couldn't find his way back. Instead of assuming they're all fake, assume they're all real and don't pet them and don't hassle the owners. (But businesses need to remove ANY dog acting aggressively or not on a leash.)
Panic attack and ptsd animals are categorized as emotional support animals, and do not have nearly the same protections as service animals. A service animal that isn't highly trained and well behaved honestly isn't a service animal. Without that high level of training they can't reliably provide that service and should not be considered a service animal
Load More Replies...
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