Emotional Support Animals On Planes

These rules went into effect on January 11 2021.

Emotional support animals on planes. As a result US. Image caption An emotional support peacock was turned away from Newark airport in 2018 The US is seeking to limit the kinds of animals that airlines must allow on board for free. Requires your Emotional Support Psychiatric Form and a Veterinary Form.

Pigs peacocks and other unexpected animals have previously flown as emotional support animals. New policies by DOT has emotional support animals banned on airlines. If you currently have an emotional support animal the ESA.

There have been cases of airlines overcorrecting such as a blind man being kicked off a plane with his service dog and a passenger flushing her hamster down an airport toilet after she claimed an airline employee suggested the solution. This means that airlines can start charging for these types of animals and can also apply the weight restrictions on in-cabin pets which is typically 20 pounds to these animals. Department of Transportation announced new rules that give airlines the option to no longer recognize emotional support animals.

Those that were considered comfort or emotional support animals dogs ducks rabbits or others will no longer be allowed on planes without a cost or without being in a carrier. Under a new Department of Transportation rule only emotional support dogs that meet strict service animal standards will be allowed to fly. Allows airlines to require forms developed by DOT attesting to a service animals health behavior and training and if taking a long flight attesting that the service animal can either not relieve itself or can relieve.

Airlines no longer have to categorize emotional support animals as service animals but rather can categorize them as pets. Up until January 2021 both service animals and ESAs were exempt from. The new rule goes into effect next month.

Only dogs are accepted as emotional support animals on planes. So-called emotional support animals would still be able to fly just under the same rules as other pets. A person is limited to one dog.