# No, your pet monitor lizard/kinkajoo/boa constrictor/etc. is not a service animal **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 2, 2020, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-your-pet-monitor-lizard-kinkajoo-boa-constrictor-etc-is-not-a-service-animal/927037 "2020-12-02T19:39:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-your-pet-monitor-lizard-kinkajoo-boa-constrictor-etc-is-not-a-service-animal/927037/1 "2020-12-02T19:39:51Z")
IMO this is looooooooooooong overdue: > **[US tightens definition of service animals allowed on planes](https://apnews.com/article/travel-animals-airlines-pets-dogs-2d6f34f9128accac56c314184c5db745)** > > The days of pets flying with their owners in airplane cabins for free are coming to an end. The Transportation Department issued a final rule Wednesday covering animals on airlines. > [@](#): > > The government has decided that when it comes to air travel, only dogs can be service animals, and companions used for emotional support don’t count. > > The Transportation Department issued a final rule Wednesday that aims to settle years of tension between airlines and passengers who bring their pets on board for free by saying they need them for emotional support. > > For years, the department required airlines to allow animals with passengers who had a doctor’s note saying they needed the animal for emotional support. Airlines believed passengers abused the rule to bring a menagerie of animals on board including cats, turtles, pigs and in one case, a peacock. > > The agency said Wednesday that it was rewriting the rules partly because passengers carrying unusual animals on board “eroded the public trust in legitimate service animals.” It also cited the increasing frequency of people “fraudulently representing their pets as service animals,” and a rise in misbehavior by emotional-support animals. > > The new rule will force passengers with emotional-support animals to check them into the cargo hold — and pay a pet fee — or leave them at home. The agency estimated airlines will gain up to $59.6 million a year in pet fees. > > Under the final rule, which takes effect in 30 days, a service animal is a dog trained to help a person with a physical or psychiatric disability. Advocates for veterans and others had pushed for inclusion of psychiatric service dogs. > > Airlines will be able to require owners to vouch for the dog’s health, behavior and training. Airlines can require people with a service dog to turn in paperwork up to 48 hours before a flight, but they can’t bar those travelers from checking in online like other passengers. > > Airlines can require that service dogs to be leashed at all times, and they can bar dogs that show aggressive behavior. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-your-pet-monitor-lizard-kinkajoo-boa-constrictor-etc-is-not-a-service-animal/927037/2 "2020-12-02T21:02:27Z")
About the only beneficial and sane thing to emerge from 2020 in general and the Federal government in particular. This had been widely known in the industry to be coming unless it got derailed at the last moment by political concerns. Which seems not to have happened. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-your-pet-monitor-lizard-kinkajoo-boa-constrictor-etc-is-not-a-service-animal/927037/3 "2020-12-02T21:05:53Z")
_Fixed your quote tags in the Op._ I do agree this needed to be done. A service animal should be properly trained and not just a glorified pet. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-your-pet-monitor-lizard-kinkajoo-boa-constrictor-etc-is-not-a-service-animal/927037/4 "2020-12-02T21:17:00Z")
Thanks for the formatting help. For anyone who may not know or remember how ridiculous this became: > **[The Confusion About Pets](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/10/20/pets-allowed)** > > Why are so many animals now in places where they shouldn’t be? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-your-pet-monitor-lizard-kinkajoo-boa-constrictor-etc-is-not-a-service-animal/927037/5 "2020-12-02T21:36:32Z")
Now we just need FHA to promulgate a similar interpretation of their existing regs about housing. ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-your-pet-monitor-lizard-kinkajoo-boa-constrictor-etc-is-not-a-service-animal/927037/6 "2020-12-02T21:47:25Z")
A peacock as a support animal makes as much sense as a pet. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-your-pet-monitor-lizard-kinkajoo-boa-constrictor-etc-is-not-a-service-animal/927037/7 "2020-12-02T21:50:40Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Thanks for the formatting help. > > For anyone who may not know or remember how ridiculous this became: > [Pets Allowed | The New Yorker](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/10/20/pets-allowed) “Ridiculous”? After looking at that pic, now I want an alpaca! 😀 Though I definitely wouldn’t try to take it on a plane with me. I don’t really have a problem with people owning certain types of exotic animals as long as they fully understand how to care for them responsibly, and as long as they are not the kinds of animals that might be inclined to have you (or someone else) for lunch. But I do agree with the new rule, with exceptions only for genuine service dogs, most of whom are far better behaved than many people. Honestly, I’d rather have a good service dog flying next to me than many humans I’ve had to endure. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-your-pet-monitor-lizard-kinkajoo-boa-constrictor-etc-is-not-a-service-animal/927037/8 "2020-12-03T15:41:56Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I do agree this needed to be done. A service animal should be properly trained and not just a glorified pet. Not even a glorified one. I sat next to a lady on a flight once who had a poorly trained support animal between her legs on the flight. The dog tried to get up every time someone walked by and started barking at the stewardess when she brought the drinks. Since the dog was 40 pounds it didn’t fit under this lady well as all so the three of us (did I mention she was in a middle seat) spent a terrible 4 hours together. I’m so glad this is happening. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-your-pet-monitor-lizard-kinkajoo-boa-constrictor-etc-is-not-a-service-animal/927037/9 "2020-12-03T16:19:29Z")
I would suspect it was not a service animal at all if it was acting that way. I was once at a gaming con and played a DnD game with, among others, a couple where the female half was blind with a guide dog. Despite the heat, noise,and confusion of a con, the dog laid at her feet under the table the whole time and anyone passing by would have been unaware it was there. It was a long game and the only two times I saw the dog – and I was sitting next to her at a round banquet table – was when we took a break and she used the dog to lead her to the facilities and later when her character was away from the party. She and the DM moved from the table to the doorway of the room to play out the scene and the dog sat up, keeping an eye on her the whole time. Her partner was giving it chest skritches and making reassuring noises, but the dog wasn’t whining or certainly not barking, just on high alert until she returned. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-your-pet-monitor-lizard-kinkajoo-boa-constrictor-etc-is-not-a-service-animal/927037/10 "2020-12-03T16:24:36Z")
The list of animals people have tried to claim as service animals is dumbfounding. I don’t know how folks can squeeze into those teeny-tiny airline seats in Coach class with those enormous balls! A properly trained dog can relieve itself on command. None of the other animals seem to be capable of that. I would think the cabin would need to be hosed down after flying a menagerie. IMHO, peacocks are only capable of pooping and screaming. Neither of these behaviors would be supportive of ANYTHING. I cringe at the thought of a peacock getting loose and terrorizing the cabin! ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-your-pet-monitor-lizard-kinkajoo-boa-constrictor-etc-is-not-a-service-animal/927037/11 "2020-12-03T16:27:28Z")
And it sounds like the airlines will now be allowed to ask people to _prove_ that a dog is a trained service dog? I find it bizarre that the ADA says you can’t ask for documentation. Why would anyone with a disability who has a genuine service dog support such a policy? It’s obviously massively abused by people who want to take their pets with them to inappropriate places, and undermines public approval for genuine animals. ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-your-pet-monitor-lizard-kinkajoo-boa-constrictor-etc-is-not-a-service-animal/927037/12 "2020-12-03T16:37:11Z")
I thought the legitimate seeing-eye mini horse was not entirely unheard of. I’m a little surprised they weren’t included. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-your-pet-monitor-lizard-kinkajoo-boa-constrictor-etc-is-not-a-service-animal/927037/13 "2020-12-03T16:38:38Z")
Considering how regulated in favor of the carriers, and against the passenger, that the airline industry is, I always found it puzzling that people got away with this service animal/pet scam as long as they did. If airlines could get away with denying boarding based on what someone is wearing, surely they could have easily denied boarding to anyone with an animal of any kind, yah? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-your-pet-monitor-lizard-kinkajoo-boa-constrictor-etc-is-not-a-service-animal/927037/14 "2020-12-03T16:38:42Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > I find it bizarre that the ADA says you can’t ask for documentation. Why would anyone with a disability who has a genuine service dog support such a policy? It’s obviously massively abused by people who want to take their pets with them to inappropriate places, and undermines public approval for genuine animals. - You’d think the abuse of parking spaces would have been a clue. ---
**Author:** ![Kimera757](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimera757/32/3765_2.png) [@Kimera757](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimera757)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-your-pet-monitor-lizard-kinkajoo-boa-constrictor-etc-is-not-a-service-animal/927037/15 "2020-12-03T17:04:44Z")
Which non-political professional came up with this idea? They must have been working from home, coming up with good ideas and avoiding office politics. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-your-pet-monitor-lizard-kinkajoo-boa-constrictor-etc-is-not-a-service-animal/927037/16 "2020-12-03T17:15:56Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Honestly, I’d rather have a good service dog flying next to me than many humans I’ve had to endure Well, yeah. Service dog ain’t ever gonna hog up the armrest. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-your-pet-monitor-lizard-kinkajoo-boa-constrictor-etc-is-not-a-service-animal/927037/17 "2020-12-03T18:02:27Z")
I was in a large store when a couple walked in with their “therapy” dog. Dog promptly took a crap on the floor and the owners walked off tee-heeing. Two workers had to clean up that mess. I love animals, but I am anti-emotional support animal. Not anti-service animal, but this emotional support animal nonsense is ridiculous. If you are so emotionally crippled that you need a pet to fly, then stay home. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-your-pet-monitor-lizard-kinkajoo-boa-constrictor-etc-is-not-a-service-animal/927037/18 "2020-12-03T18:15:16Z")
> [@peedin](#): > > If you are so emotionally crippled that you need a pet to fly, then stay home. Up until I COVID-retired recently, I spent a lot of time flying commercially (see my avatar). Not meaning to hijack the thread, and caveat for an unpopular opinion, but when I hear airline onboard announcements about “safety is our first concern” and then see these goofball animals, as well as some elderly or disabled severely incapacitated passengers - I think that the airlines are lying about safety. Before anyone thinks I’m an absolute monster for mentioning the disabled, I have direct experience physically managing my severely disabled sister and sometimes the correct choice is “well, that is something we really can’t do”. ---
**Author:** ![Ranch\_Dip](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranch_dip/32/5238_2.png) [@Ranch\_Dip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranch_Dip)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-your-pet-monitor-lizard-kinkajoo-boa-constrictor-etc-is-not-a-service-animal/927037/19 "2020-12-03T19:55:10Z")
If they include psychiatric disability, it’s not such a stretch to continue to include emotional support animals. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-your-pet-monitor-lizard-kinkajoo-boa-constrictor-etc-is-not-a-service-animal/927037/20 "2020-12-03T20:24:47Z")
Yeah, actually it is. Because there is such as thing as a psychiatric service dog. Those dogs perform tasks for their handers, in the same way that a seeing-eye or hearing-ear or seizure dog does. For example, a psychiatric service dog might interrupt and redirect a handler’s OCD symptoms by bringing the handler a dog brush when the dog sees the handler pulling out her hair , or might guide a disoriented handler or help the handler identify hallucinations Emotional support animals do not perform tasks- they provide a sense of safety and calm to the owner by their physical presence. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-your-pet-monitor-lizard-kinkajoo-boa-constrictor-etc-is-not-a-service-animal/927037.md?page=2)