Emotional support animals will no longer be considered service animals on flights, DOT decides

[foodsvcmgr]

Finally good news from the government for the majority of the traveling public.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

IMHO a good part of the problem is how pets.....especially dogs....are now allowed just about everywhere and treated more like a member of the family or a celebrity. I've had dogs so not anti-dog but would never have thought to take my dog to the grocery store and put him in the seat of the shopping cart like many do now. Nor would I dress him up and parade him around in a stroller on a cruise ship or at a restaurant or at a store.  I do agree that taking a dog who can't walk well in a stroller for a walk outside is a great thing to do but think a lot of what people are doing with their dogs has gone a bit far. 

[Kbonner]

Does RCI still allow emotional support escort ladies on board, free of charge ?

[beerman2]

4 hours ago, Kbonner said:

Does RCI still allow emotional support escort ladies on board, free of charge ?

Name of next ship "Escort"??????

[bigrednole]

Finally some good news. 

[ryano]

15 hours ago, LorraineP said:

I personally don’t want to pay for a cabin that has been occupied by any dog. I don’t stay at hotels that are pet friendly either. 

 

You really have no idea if the hotels or cruise cabins you stay in have had a dog in them or not.  They HAVE to allow service dogs which by the way, are not "pets".   🙂  

[LorraineP]

4 hours ago, ryano said:

 

You really have no idea if the hotels or cruise cabins you stay in have had a dog in them or not.  They HAVE to allow service dogs which by the way, are not "pets".   🙂  

Service dogs have to accept that but staying at a pet friendly hotel invites dogs, cats, etc that are traveling with their owners, whether well trained or not, sleeping in beds, on chairs & couches. 

[deliver42]

Even hotels that aren't pet friendly have to accept a service dog, or be in violation of ADA. You have no way of knowing if a dog was in your room.

 

[LorraineP]

10 minutes ago, deliver42 said:

Even hotels that aren't pet friendly have to accept a service dog, or be in violation of ADA. You have no way of knowing if a dog was in your room.

 

Yes, I know that but service dogs are well trained, don’t sleep in bed with owners, not on chairs or couches. Chances of a service dog in non-pet friendly hotel is slim whereas pet friendly hotels are invitations bring your pets along. Sad to say some owners don’t care what their pets do especially when not in their homes. 

[momof3cruisers]

On 12/3/2020 at 4:01 PM, LorraineP said:

Yes, I know that but service dogs are well trained, don’t sleep in bed with owners, not on chairs or couches. Chances of a service dog in non-pet friendly hotel is slim whereas pet friendly hotels are invitations bring your pets along. Sad to say some owners don’t care what their pets do especially when not in their homes. 

Funny enough, when traveling with my son and his dog, we avoid pet friendly hotels for that same reason. 
 

 

[momof3cruisers]

On 12/2/2020 at 6:16 PM, hannibal54 said:

 

Thank him for his service. I am  Navy Veteran.

I thank you for your service. But to clarify, my son’s PTSD is not from combat. He is medically unable to serve though he would have loved to. 

[SRF]

On 12/2/2020 at 3:30 PM, mworkman said:

Why do you feel it will be challenged in court? It’s not a privet company thats making a change to the rules, it’s the government that made the change.

 

ADA is a law.

 

DOT makes regulations.  Unless Congress changes the law, DOT regulations have to follow the law.  Or they will be invalidated.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

1 hour ago, SRF said:

 

ADA is a law.

 

DOT makes regulations.  Unless Congress changes the law, DOT regulations have to follow the law.  Or they will be invalidated.

 

ADA will still be followed. Emotional Support Dogs don't fall under ADA. 

Emotional support animals, comfort animals, and therapy dogs are not service animals under Title II and Title III of the ADA.

Edited December 6, 2020 by suzyluvs2cruise