It's a start? Celebrity are you listening?

[neverbeenhere]

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/delta-cracking-down-people-fake-162248805.html

[gerelmx]

Read it on other thread, hope all passenger companies follow Delta

We had a bad experience on our last cruise at Oasis, and on previous cruises I had never seen a dog on board. I realize that lately they have been abusing and someone had to put the stop sign.

[Luvcrusn]

While there is certainly a need for properly trained service animals and emotional-support animals, there has been a decided up-tick in the false claims of many in order to bring along their beloved pets. As stated in the article this has caused problems for many other passengers, store patrons, restaurant customers to say the very least. I definitely hope that there are strong guidelines imposed and airlines, and all modes of transportation, hotels, restaurants and stores stop allowing the abuse of privileges by some selfish and indulgent pet owners, that don't need the animals, but want them without consideration of either the animals or the fellow consumers.

[Cruise Raider]

Great move that I hope are adopted throughout the travel industry.

We flew on Spirit once and there was a dog in the bulkhead row (we were right behind) that stunk to high heaven. Not sure if it was an emotional support animal or someone's stinky beloved pet ... but it was just gross!! And I love dogs....

 

The only times I have seen service animals onboard a cruise were for obviously valid reasons ... seeing eye dogs in every case. They are always well behaved and well taken care of in terms of hygiene and such. There is a very nice woman that sails on Celebrity often that brings her service dog. He is awesome. When in the bar, she tells us it is ok if we give him some attention. What a great pup. I don't think I've ever seen a bet brought onboard for emotional support. I heard someone wanted to bring their turkey onboard, though. You just can't make this stuff up.

[katrina915]

I have no idea what could be used as proof that an animal will behave. That's going to be interesting.

I have a certified therapy dog and we go to hospitals, etc. When I go on a cruise, they stay at home since they are NOT my therapy dog. Not sure what rules that they come up with, but I hope they can come up with something so they stop giving legitimate therapy dogs a bad wrap. And these poor people that need service animals.

They have to be careful with Ada, but they should come up with some type of way of identifying people that truly need service animals. Support animals should not get the same benefits.

 

 

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[neverbeenhere]

I don't think I've ever seen a bet brought onboard for emotional support.

 

The K Man says you've been known to bet for emotional support. :cool:

[Denny01]

We experienced a very interesting cruise with a couple with true Service Dogs, and then saw the opposite on another cruise.

 

On a Princess cruise, we met a blind couple (yes, both) with service dogs. We talked a bit, then had dinner and socialized more. The dogs were true Service dogs. When in harness they were focused on their jobs. If someone reached over to pet them, which the owners asked not to be done, the dogs would lower or turn their heads away. They were quiet and attentive to their jobs. We went to their SR where they took the dogs out of their harnesses and the 2 became regular dogs, jumping, pressing for hugs and pets and having fun. The only time we sensed them being ‘dogs’ while in harness was one time at dinner while the dogs were under the table, one dog lightly licked my wife’s sandled foot. That was it. Funny! One issue. In Jamaica, the ship told the couple they couldn’t take their dogs into port because there were so many dogs running loose everywhere in port, the service dogs could be attacked and if bit would be quarantined. We took the couple ashore and acted as their eyes describing everything. Fun for all.

 

Now the obvious pet brought on as a service dog. It was a lap dog a woman had. The dog acted exactly as a pet dog does - barking at people, trying to get out of her arms and the little carrier she had for it. Acted exactly like an untrained pet. She even brought it into the restaurants and fed it in her arms as she ate. And of course she broke other rules such as bringing an 8 yr old into a specialty restaurant that that had age limits. We changed seats so we didn’t have t watch her feeding a dog at the table. And of course she was loud and obnoxious.

 

Hopefully, people who need service dogs including emotion support dogs will not have an issue because people want to sneak their pets on and yes, we have seen true emotion-support trained dogs and just as other service dogs, they are not pets and do not act as such,,,,,,except when you take that harness off, then they are fun dogs!

 

Den

[Iamthesea]

Not sure if it was the same couple, but we saw a blind couple with service dogs on a Celebrity cruise. Very nice couple... and good looking! The dogs were German Shepherds, I think. Maybe they were labs, though.

 

Then there was the emotional support dog on one of our excursions. Poor thing was in a stroller and could barely walk. He growled at a few people if they tried to pet him/her.

[bigbeergut]

... Not sure what rules that they come up with, but I hope they can come up with something so they stop giving legitimate therapy dogs a bad wrap. And these poor people that need service animals....

 

 

 

Agreed. The answer needs to come from groups that have legitimate therapy/support dogs. They need to lead the way in establishing legitimate guidelines and documentation for these animals. It will ultimately benefit them as well as the rest of us from people that just want to break the rules and bring their pets.

[CruiseGal999]

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/delta-cracking-down-people-fake-162248805.html

 

Oh, man. My Sloth IS an emotional support animal! He smiles at everyone! He makes everyone happy. But ... he does stink. I guess Delta won't let him hang around the cabin on my upcoming flight. Dang.

[SargassoPirate]

Whatever happened to being a good citizen?

 

People who abuse the rules, such as gaming the system so that they can bring their lap rat on a cruise, are essentially bullies who are giving the rest of us who follow the rules, and those who truly rely on a service animal, the bird.:eek:

 

They are in the same low class as chair hogs.

 

(sarcasm alert) And speaking of hogs, my Harley gives me emotional support and helps calm me. Wonder if I can bring it on a cruise and just park it in the hallway since it won't fit in my cabin?:evilsmile:

[fshagan]

I have no idea what could be used as proof that an animal will behave. That's going to be interesting.

 

Here's the paragraph about ESAs:

 

Delta will require a signed letter from a doctor or mental health professional and a signed document confirming an animal can behave during a flight.

I suspect that signed document allows Delta to bill the emotionally unstable person for any damage the animal does. IF a hotel can charge you a $250 cleaning fee if you smoke in the room,, certainly Delta can charge you $500 if the animal pees on the airplane floor. I actually think the first part, having to provide a doctor's note, will stop more people than the signed document.

 

I have a certified therapy dog and we go to hospitals, etc. When I go on a cruise, they stay at home since they are NOT my therapy dog. Not sure what rules that they come up with, but I hope they can come up with something so they stop giving legitimate therapy dogs a bad wrap. And these poor people that need service animals.

They have to be careful with Ada, but they should come up with some type of way of identifying people that truly need service animals. Support animals should not get the same benefits.

 

This is the problem; we have friends who train dogs for one of the official seeing eye dog organizations. I recognize the need. But the backlash has already started. Not everyone can take a cruise. I am so tired of seeing people put their dog's butt where children are supposed to be in shopping carts in grocery stores, bring their dogs to family dinners, etc. I told everyone to leave their dogs at home for Thanksgiving this year. Enough.

[ghstudio]

Here's the paragraph about ESAs:

 

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I suspect that signed document allows Delta to bill the emotionally unstable person for any damage the animal does. IF a hotel can charge you a $250 cleaning fee if you smoke in the room,, certainly Delta can charge you $500 if the animal pees on the airplane floor.

 

 

I hope you are correct and perhaps they will even require a charge card.....and hopefully the document suggests that the amount of cost could be significant (perhaps even say $500 or more)....as well as liability should the animal cause other damage including loss of use of a room and so on. Make it an ominous risk that the dog owner has to think about.....but not ominous to those who really have a true service dog or PTSD emotional support animal. Net would be....could you prove in a court of law that fifi is truly protected by any state or federal law......and do you want to risk being fined for faking, should it get to court.

 

 

This is definitely a step in the right direction.

[sippican]

I really don't see how these guidelines are considered "strict". Do they really think it will be hard for passengers to get a letter from a mental health provider or doctor? As far as certifying that the dog is able to behave - seriously? I'm sure a dog trainer, obedience class certificate, groomer, etc. could all scribble off a note attesting to that.

Honestly, I don't think it's going to matter at all.

I think I'm the only sucker that still pays $100 a pop for my furbabies to ride in their carriers under the seat. On top of that, we lose the privilege of having a carryon bag (the dogs are considered carryon). So there is very little incentive to comply other than simple moral decency. The travel industry is encouraging the abuse. Perhaps if pets could fly free it would be interesting to see the results.

If I had a true disability that required the services of a trained dog, I would be angry at the blatant, insulting use of pets in this capacity. I see no reason whatsoever that "emotional support" animals (or the like) should not be held to some sort of standard vetting procedure, including evaluation and training, by a professionally recognized procedure.

I am sick of having "Fluffy" join us in restaurants, on planes and cruises just "because".

[Silkroad]

sippican, I was thinking the same thing! In fact, there’s another thread asking if Infinity is going to the dogs that covers similar ground.

 

I really don’t understand people who drag their dogs on every plane and ship unnecessarily. In addition to being inconsiderate to fellow travelers, it’s very stressful for the animals. I’m glad we never had to subject our beloved dogs to air travel. At 75 lbs each, they wouldn’t have fit under our seats so they would have been frightened and miserable in the hold. We instead drove them from the west coast to the east coast when we were transferred, and paid a small fortune to kennel them whenever we traveled. In fact, we once turned down a lucrative temporary assignment in the UK because we couldn’t bear to subject our aged dogs to a long plane flight and a longer quarantine once we arrived there.

[pmattor200]

Service dogs are trained to perform a specific task and you are allowed to ask what task they are trained to perform. I think there is one more thing you are allowed to ask under ADA but I can't remember it right now.