Have We Gone Too Far When It Comes To "Emotional Support Animals?"

Canada
January 22, 2018 6:55am CST
What's with the new trend towards emotional support animals? If you ask me, it just makes it harder for people with seeing eye dogs, service dogs for the deaf, etc. There are real medically certified service animals. I bring this up after seeing a story on HLN a few minutes ago, bout Delta Airlines cracking down on "emotional support animals," because people are abusing the system. They're bringing on ducks, snakes, spiders, turkeys, sugar gliders (not even sure I know what those are) etc. and claiming them as emotional service animals. Many times these animals act out, be it aggressively, or just in an annoying way, because being in these situations taxes their emotions. Maybe they too need emotional support animals (kidding...kidding...). It was also said that doctors (when they're legitimate, and not just a note that someone bought on line) can vouch for the needs of the person carrying the animal, but they can not vouch for the behaviour of the animal itself. I remember 30 years ago, there was a blind woman that went to my church. She had a beautiful seeing eye dog, but the dog would HOWL every time the organist started playing. she had bonded with the dog, and ended up giving up the church, so we would not be subjected to the dog's howling. That was kinda sad... Now, this is a guide dog, something that's been certified for decades, and there was still a problem. What's to say about all these bizarre animals that people are bringing on planes? What about the needs of the animals themselves? What do you think? Have things gone too far, and what can we do about it?
2 people like this
2 responses
@BarBaraPrz (51837)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
22 Jan 18
A friend of mine's daughter, who has a learning diability, has two cats and a dog. When it was just the cats, she would say she couldn't go out for too long because she couldn't leave the cats alone. Now that she and her partner, another learning disabled woman, have the dog, they call it a support animal, and take it everywhere. They even got one of those special pet strollers for it. And they leave the cats home alone when they go out.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (117259)
• El Paso, Texas
5 Nov 24
So she never needed a support kritter before she got her dog?
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (51837)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
5 Nov 24
@rebelann I don't know if she did or not. Now they just have the dog and a guinea pig.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
22 Jan 18
I can just picture bringing one of my donkeys on board for 'support' @danishcanadian . I wonder who would get to pick up the enormous pile of poop. Seriously; this situation has gotten ridiculous.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (117259)
• El Paso, Texas
5 Nov 24
Or that woman with her chicken, all those feathers along with the poop.