Dogs on board?

[bighairtexan]

According to the ADA "therapy dogs" aren't even recognized as "service dogs". And only recognized service dogs are covered by Titles II and III. So there IS a definite differentiation between Therapy And Service animals.

I know when I am away from my dog I'm worried and anxious about him and having him near me would have helped my anxiety. But that hardly makes him a service dog.

I was in a casino on RCI where the casino hostess was walking all around the casino w/ a small fluffy dog. I asked if it was hers and she said "No it's a therapy dog for a passenger's emotional support." WHAAAAT? And where was said emotionally labile passenger? Somewhere gambling. I call BALONEY. And IMO it dilutes the instances where there is an actual NEED for a service dog by making it so sketchy.

[DCGuy64]

Well if this doesn't just take the cake. A therapy peacock? http://liveandletsfly.boardingarea.com/2018/01/29/united-airlines-peacock/

[javaguru]

TravelinGert and Lindgop, research CGM - DEXCOM Continuous Glucose monitor. It alarms when your blood sugar drops too low or goes too high. It doesn't sleep, doesn't require vet bills, doesn't cause your blood sugar to drop or spike if something happens to it to get you upset and it doesn't drool all over the buffet.

[ssmea03]

According to the ADA "therapy dogs" aren't even recognized as "service dogs". And only recognized service dogs are covered by Titles II and III. So there IS a definite differentiation between Therapy And Service animals.

I know when I am away from my dog I'm worried and anxious about him and having him near me would have helped my anxiety. But that hardly makes him a service dog.

I was in a casino on RCI where the casino hostess was walking all around the casino w/ a small fluffy dog. I asked if it was hers and she said "No it's a therapy dog for a passenger's emotional support." WHAAAAT? And where was said emotionally labile passenger? Somewhere gambling. I call BALONEY. And IMO it dilutes the instances where there is an actual NEED for a service dog by making it so sketchy.

 

I read up on that to. A service dog HAS to be trained to do specific tasks to aid a disabled person. Therapy, comfort and companion dogs are family pets in the eyes of the law. You can get psychiatric service dogs though.

Cruise lines need to crack down on this fad, if only for those allergic to pets.

[DCGuy64]

It's gotten out of hand, and I for one am concerned about the perception that people with genuine needs for service animals are going to be seen as faking it, which isn't the case. I have an allergy to pet dander and get allergy shots every three weeks. I don't think it's too much to ask for people to leave their fur babies at home.

http://thefederalist.com/2018/01/30/three-cheers-deltas-decision-restrict-pets-flights/

[Lindagop]

TravelinGert and Lindgop, research CGM - DEXCOM Continuous Glucose monitor. It alarms when your blood sugar drops too low or goes too high. It doesn't sleep, doesn't require vet bills, doesn't cause your blood sugar to drop or spike if something happens to it to get you upset and it doesn't drool all over the buffet.

Sad!

Hope you never have to deal with the realities of this.

Please enjoy your humour and greetings

[windlicht]

Well if this doesn't just take the cake. A therapy peacock? http://liveandletsfly.boardingarea.com/2018/01/29/united-airlines-peacock/

Lol what a load of nonsense. Hahahaha! How unhygienic!

[gkbiiii]

God Bless the Little Barkers and those who bring them!

[lorijeannj]

Some people have a condition where their blood sugar can suddenly drop or climb. The dogs are very useful in those cases as we don't currently have a way to constantly monitor blood sugar accurately.

 

 

 

Some are also trained for epileptics. They can sense when one is coming on often sooner than the person and also are often trained to assist by activating life alert calls, retrieving the person's phone, guarding them and if needed stimulating them post seizure to help them recover faster. I have a friend who would not be able to live alone without the aid of her Seizure Alert trained dog.

 

 

 

I don't care if there are dogs on board as long as they're well trained and kept under control. The cruise line is well within their rights to remove dogs who are not behaving.

 

 

 

Are you serious?

 

 

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[lorijeannj]

I read up on that to. A service dog HAS to be trained to do specific tasks to aid a disabled person. Therapy, comfort and companion dogs are family pets in the eyes of the law. You can get psychiatric service dogs though.

 

Cruise lines need to crack down on this fad, if only for those allergic to pets.

 

 

 

Agreed. Cruise lines need to stiffen up.

 

 

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[ssmea03]

God Bless the Little Barkers and those who bring them!

 

As a dog and cat owner, I believe that anyone who falsified documentation in order to take their pet on vacation with them is the most irresponsible of pet owners. And invariably the animal will be spoiled rotten, and behave awfully.

[Carribean Cruiser George]

I am on Seaside and there is definitely at least one small dog onboard. It was in a sling style holder for babies. Probably weighs 5 pounds or so. I could not tell if it was a service dog of some sort.

[sjudis]

Some lady got called out trying to pass her peacock(yes I said peacock) off as an emotional support animal on one of the airlines recently[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]. People are just nuts lately.

 

 

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[sjudis]

Before you know it we won’t be allowed to have any peanut products on board anymore because someone’s little kid is allergic[emoji33][emoji33][emoji33]

 

 

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[javaguru]

Sad!

Hope you never have to deal with the realities of this.

Please enjoy your humour and greetings

 

Lindagop, FYI - I have diabetes. I use a CGM. No animal needed.

[lifeasme123]

Some people game the system and register lapdogs as therapy dogs.

 

Agree. I found out from a friend how easy it is to get a dog certified as service/therapy dog.

 

On our Seaside sailing last week we saw at least 2. Our young daughter wanted to play with them.

[lorijeannj]

Simple solution for airlines and cruise ships, for support therapy whatever pets, specifically dogs, require a muzzle and offer pet liability insurance.

 

 

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[ssmea03]

Agree. I found out from a friend how easy it is to get a dog certified as service/therapy dog.

 

On our Seaside sailing last week we saw at least 2. Our young daughter wanted to play with them.

 

Only trained service animals have to be accommodated. All these therapy, support and comfort pets should be left on the dock side.

[ssmea03]

Some lady got called out trying to pass her peacock(yes I said peacock) off as an emotional support animal on one of the airlines recently[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]. People are just nuts lately.

 

 

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The peacock has made the BBC and CBC now.

[TravelinGert]

Lindagop, FYI - I have diabetes. I use a CGM. No animal needed.

 

Sorry I did not realize the CGM's existed. They were trying to develop them the last I knew. Sadly my loved one with diabetes passed a few years ago. At that time they were still working on a device worn on the wrist like a watch which monitored for sudden changes and could also give a good idea of your blood sugar at any given time without a stick. It wasn't as accurate as a stick but was still very useful. My relative was part of the study group on those. Glad to hear they finally got something approved that could do so continuously. Hope they are generally covered under insurance.

 

One of the reasons for the use of service dogs was always the fact they often add more life value than a single use piece of machinery. Even if they do sometimes sleep or need fed or walked. Many doctors and nurses told me they were thrilled to see patients paired with service dogs because part of the requirements they had to agree to was to make sure the animals were exercised. Folks with diabetes are as prone as any of us to not exercise as often as we ought but taking care of the dogs could help ensure they were getting their exercise. ;)

[rusky123]

Service dogs are amazing, well trained and very social to people and other animals, they have to go through the socialisation training as pups or they are thrown out of their programmes and put out as pets. The 2 therapy dogs I have met on cruises were just snappy, awful, pampered ,dressed up pooches who did not know their place in the pack, but pandered to their owners 'needs'. They snarled and growled as we walked past their strollers. Not the dogs fault they have not been trained or socialised with other dogs or people. I guess some people just do not know how to train or treat dogs.

LOL I used to keep ducks, I called them my therapists. I used to take a cuppa or glass of wine down to their pond and just watch them and feel all my cares and worries go away. LOL if I had taken all 27 of them on a plane it would fall out of the sky with the weight of duck poo.

[spidybabe]

Major differences between therapy/ service dogs and "therapy/comfort" dogs. It's sinful how many are abusing the system. Places really need to crack down in this ongoing, increasing abuse.

What happens if you have allergies and are now in a small enclosed elevator with a dog? Or in a cabin a dog was in prior. People wouldn't even know, and could have bad reactions. I know some members of my family would get horrible allergy attacks.

Safe sailing

 

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[suzyed]

Service dogs today, come in all sizes, and breeds, and for many different services. It used to be just for visually impaired people, then for others, and now, there are several diffent types of service dogs. I think we all have to move forward in this day to accept change in many ways, and this is one of those changes.

I have heard the same argument about the wheelchair sign in cars, and people say, that the person who just parked there with that sign in the window, did not look like they were in need of it. Well, we just dont know why they have it, nor should we be making judgements in that regard, not knowing.

Correct! My father had COPD and couldn't walk very far without being out of breath. From time to time he would have people tell him he didn't look handicapped and why was he parking there.

Once he was on Oxygen 24/7, the questions stopped.

[suzyed]

True, but abuses happen. There was a scandal not long ago in Washington, DC involving transit employees using reserved handicapped spaces when the person with the disability wasn't even in the car (which is required by law). The employees involved were fined for abusing the ordinance. Not saying this is happening with comfort animals, but it's certainly a possibility.

Speaking of that....what "proof" do you need to show to get a handicapped cabin onboard? Is it just the handicapped placard that we use in our cars? If so, then they better start making half the ship handicapped!!

[MizDemeanor]

It has recently been in the news that there are going to be requirements of proof, due to the continued misrepresentation of these loving and hard working animals being exploited, and things are happily going to change. I abhor anyone who uses their pet with claims of them to be a service animal, by deceptive work around ploys. Its an injustice to those who have taken the time to train animals for a specific purpose for those who are truly deserving of the assitance and for those who are truly in need. Those who have true service animals have nothing to worry about, its the ones who fake it and cast a shadow on those who are legitimately in need that do. Finally.