Southwest Airways bans emotional support animals, only experienced dogs allowed

Southwest Airways has manufactured the choice to no longer enable emotional guidance animals on their flights following a choice by the U.S. Office of Transportation (DOT) very last thirty day period to revise the Air Provider Entry Act (ACAA) regulation on the transportation of support animals.

© Patrick Fallon/Reuters

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

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“With this revision, Southwest Airways will only allow provider canine that are independently properly trained to do operate or execute tasks for the benefit of a skilled individual with a incapacity to journey with the Customer,” Southwest Airways stated in a assertion unveiled on Monday evening. “The forms of disability include a actual physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability and only puppies will be acknowledged (together with these for psychiatric provider) — no other species will be acknowledged as a skilled assistance animal.”

The airline reported that customers who do travel with experienced support canine should now existing a accomplished Support Animal Air Transportation Type issued by the DOT at the gate or ticket counter at the airport and must incorporate particulars on the animal’s wellbeing, habits and education.

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“We applaud the Office of Transportation’s new ruling that allows us to make these vital modifications to tackle numerous worries raised by the general public and airline workforce about the transport of untrained animals in the cabins of plane,” claimed Steve Goldberg, Senior Vice President, Operations and Hospitality at Southwest. “Southwest Airlines carries on to support the capacity of certified men and women with a incapacity to bring skilled assistance dogs for journey and continues to be fully commited to providing a optimistic and obtainable vacation knowledge for all of our Consumers with disabilities.”

Southwest stated that travellers may perhaps nevertheless travel with some animals for a demand, which has been a normal component of their current animals program, but people animals will have to fulfill all needs relating to in-cabin stowage and are limited to cats and canines only.

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© Patrick Fallon/Reuters
FILE A Southwest Airways Co. employee wears a protective mask when aiding a passenger at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) for the duration of the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Los Angeles, California, U.S., May possibly 23, 2020.


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The U.S. Section of Transportation modified the ACAA in an announcement on Dec. 2, 2020 declaring that passengers had been abusing the privilege of psychological aid animals and the apply experienced “eroded the community have confidence in in genuine provider animals.”

The DOT reported it was prompted in aspect by an raise in vacationers “fraudulently symbolizing their pets as assistance animals” to stay away from rates for transporting pets. There are documents of travellers bringing miniature horses, hamsters, pigs and even peacocks on board airlines which persons have claimed as psychological guidance animals.

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Claimed the DOT in their new ruling on Dec. 2: “The Department received a lot more than 15,000 reviews on the notice of proposed rulemaking. The ultimate rule introduced today addresses considerations raised by persons with disabilities, airlines, flight attendants, airports, other aviation transportation stakeholders, and other members of the general public, relating to assistance animals on aircraft.”