US: Emotional-support animals? Vague rules fuel conflict

Is it time to ground emotional-support animals for good? Many airline passengers say so. Maureen Van Dorn, flying from Tucson to Chicago for a funeral recently, was surprised by a large Dalmatian next to her in seat 3B. "I was shocked by the size of this dog," she says. "When the traveller in seat 3A stood up, the dog was able to put his paws on the man’s shoulders." The canine, which did not wear a vest or an ID that would have identified it as a service animal, sprawled into Van Dorn's personal space, its tail whipping against her legs the entire flight. "This made me very uncomfortable," she says. Many airlines want to jettison these comfort animals, too. A DoT advisory committee is scheduled to meet Oct. 12 to decide whether an emotional-support animal is a service animal. Airlines are pushing the government to adopt a more restrictive definition. No one knows exactly how many Americans fly with an emotional-support animal. Federal regulations require airlines to allow dogs and other service animals used by people with a disability to accompany them on a flight. The documentation requirements are minimal — either a service animal identification card, "other" written documentation or the presence of harnesses or markings on harnesses, tags or the "credible verbal assurances." What's more, airlines have to allow a service animal to accompany a qualified individual in any seat, unless the animal blocks an aisle or other area that must remain unobstructed, or the animal is not trained to behave properly in a public setting.<br/>