Southwest Airlines bans emotional aid animals, only educated canine authorized

Southwest Airways has manufactured the choice to no for a longer time allow for psychological aid animals on their flights subsequent a choice by the U.S. Office of Transportation (DOT) very last thirty day period to revise the Air Provider Access Act (ACAA) regulation on the transportation of company animals.

In accordance to Southwest Airlines, emotional assist animals will be banned from their flights from March 1, 2021.

“With this revision, Southwest Airlines will only allow services dogs that are separately trained to do get the job done or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified unique with a disability to travel with the Client,” Southwest Airlines said in a statement launched on Monday night. “The types of disability incorporate a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental incapacity and only canine will be recognized (which includes those for psychiatric company) – no other species will be accepted as a qualified assistance animal.”

The airline said that customers who do journey with qualified company puppies will have to now current a accomplished Service Animal Air Transportation Sort issued by the DOT at the gate or ticket counter at the airport and must involve specifics on the animal’s health and fitness, behavior and coaching.

“We applaud the Department of Transportation’s the latest ruling that lets us to make these critical improvements to tackle several worries lifted by the public and airline staff concerning the transport of untrained animals in the cabins of aircraft,” explained Steve Goldberg, Senior Vice President, Operations and Hospitality at Southwest. “Southwest Airways continues to help the capacity of qualified men and women with a incapacity to provide properly trained company canine for vacation and stays dedicated to supplying a optimistic and available vacation working experience for all of our Prospects with disabilities.”

Southwest claimed that travellers may possibly even now journey with some animals for a charge, which has been a normal element of their current pets application, but individuals animals ought to fulfill all needs relating to in-cabin stowage and are limited to cats and pet dogs only.

The U.S. Office of Transportation transformed the ACAA in an announcement on Dec. 2, 2020 saying that travellers had been abusing the privilege of psychological assistance animals and the apply experienced “eroded the public belief in legitimate services animals.”

The DOT said it was prompted in element by an improve in travelers “fraudulently representing their pets as provider animals” to prevent costs for transporting animals.There are documents of passengers bringing miniature horses, hamsters, pigs and even peacocks on board airways which people today have claimed as emotional guidance animals.

The DOT explained in their new ruling on Dec. 2: “The Office been given far more than 15,000 comments on the recognize of proposed rulemaking. The ultimate rule announced today addresses concerns raised by people with disabilities, airways, flight attendants, airports, other aviation transportation stakeholders, and other members of the general public, pertaining to assistance animals on plane.”