Passenger Trains > New rules for "support animals"

WaPo reports Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) has introduced legislation to standardize rules for support animals on airline transportation. The bill has the support of several disabled veterans' groups, the flight attendants, etc.

If enacted, emotional support peacocks, camels, spiders, snakes, kangaroos, etc would no longer be allowed. All allowed critters would be required to assist a disabled owner with a specific task. The law is based on the AD A definitions, and would require certification. Merely providing emotional support won't cut it. Criminal penalties would apply to a false claim of disability, or animal status.

This should reduce the menagerie effect on many flights. I hope Amtrak asks to be included in the coverage...

LINK TO FOLLOW

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This "support animal" crap has really gotten out of hand. From my experience in the subsidized housing world, landlords have been dealing with this for years. I have no issues with true "service animals" (e.g. seeing eye dogs, etc), but the rest is just bs.

TJY

This can't come fast enough.

How out of hand has this gotten ?

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> How out of hand has this gotten ?


At the Monterey Bay Aquarium we had a guy with an iguana on his shoulder claiming it was a therapy pet and A guy with a baby kangaroo in his backpack also a service animal. And there is nothing you can do. Also had a high schoo guy in full black gothic clothes with a young doberman with spike collar and chain leash say it was service animal.
C

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/18 15:23 by CarolVoss.

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> How out of hand has this gotten ?

Thanks to both the far-left and the far-right a lot have things have gotten out of hand in the last few years. (And if anyone wants to label me, call me an Eisenhower Democrat.)

John

I'd be more afraid of the doberman with spike collar and chain leash than the lizard or the roo. Some of them have partially reverted to wolf with the territory and protectionism.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> LINK TO FOLLOW

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/tripping/wp/2018/04/25/senator-wants-to-put-a-tighter-leash-on-airline-rules-for-service-animals/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.148b41bc1f84

"Under the ADA, a service animal is defined as a dog that has been trained to perform specific tasks to assist people with disabilities, such as dogs that help blind people navigate. An animal would not fit the bill if it were there simply to offer its owner comfort."

News Release:
https://www.burr.senate.gov/press/releases/senator-burr-introduces-bill-to_strengthen-airline-service-animal-procedures

(Nothing to do with trains at the moment. The legislation is focused on aircraft.)

Personally I do not mind a well behaved service animal, even if it is for emotional support. But I agree that the animal should be professionally trained and the passenger should be using the animal under a doctor's written and verifiable order.

Amtrak says:
"Service animals that are trained to perform a specific task for the benefit of a person with a disability are permitted in all areas where passengers are allowed for no additional fee. Comfort animals that provide emotional support are not permitted onboard."

More information: https://www.amtrak.com/service-animals

This is sorely needed for every mode of transportation.

The rule must be that the service animal must be certified and must have some sort of ID tag identifying it as such.

Airplanes, taxis, Uber, Lyft, buses are all suffering do to such current wide open interpretation with no certification or ID required.

jst3751 Wrote:
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> This is sorely needed for every mode of
> transportation.
>
> The rule must be that the service animal must be
> certified and must have some sort of ID tag
> identifying it as such.
>
> Airplanes, taxis, Uber, Lyft, buses are all
> suffering do to such current wide open
> interpretation with no certification or ID
> required.

All sorts of certification, vests, collars, etcetc are available on the internet. Have been for years.
C

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

CarolVoss Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> jst3751 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > This is sorely needed for every mode of
> > transportation.
> >
> > The rule must be that the service animal must
> be
> > certified and must have some sort of ID tag
> > identifying it as such.
> >
> > Airplanes, taxis, Uber, Lyft, buses are all
> > suffering do to such current wide open
> > interpretation with no certification or ID
> > required.
>
> All sorts of certification, vests, collars, etcetc
> are available on the internet. Have been for
> years.
> C

BUT, and this is a big BUT, currently they are not REQUIRED to use them.

Currently, all some one has to say is the animal is for support.

What the law should be, that the animal must provide a specified task and must carry a certification that it does.

Maybe we need to "certify" some of the owners...

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

sums007 Wrote:
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> This can't come fast enough.


Yes,about time.
Regards,DK

jst3751 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> CarolVoss Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > jst3751 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > This is sorely needed for every mode of
> > > transportation.
> > >
> > > The rule must be that the service animal must
> > be
> > > certified and must have some sort of ID tag
> > > identifying it as such.
> > >
> > > Airplanes, taxis, Uber, Lyft, buses are all
> > > suffering do to such current wide open
> > > interpretation with no certification or ID
> > > required.
> >
> > All sorts of certification, vests, collars,
> etcetc
> > are available on the internet. Have been for
> > years.
> > C
>
> BUT, and this is a big BUT, currently they are not
> REQUIRED to use them.
>
> Currently, all some one has to say is the animal
> is for support.
>
that is correct.

> What the law should be, that the animal must
> provide a specified task and must carry a
> certification that it does.

Yes, but you watch— there will be ways around it.
C

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

The fake "service animals" are everywhere, including grocery stores, restaurants and Disneyland! Probably a bigger problem in California since we have more than our share of "certifiable" owners.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/18 17:34 by SanDiegan.

SanDiegan Wrote:
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> The fake "service animals" are everywhere,
> including grocery stores, restaurants and
> Disneyland! Probably a bigger problem in
> California since we have more than our share of
> "certifiable" owners.


I was a volunteer guide at the Monterey Bay Aquarium from 2000 to 2011 and the topic of the widespread abuse of this service animal thing was at most every annual conference of zoos, aquariums, amusement parks etc. Our MBA policy was to approach the person and say no animals etc allowed , not ask if it was a service animal— it was up to the person to tell us if it was a service, therapy animal. This applied to animals not wearing any sort of identufying service insignia, even if we knew many were phony. A very exasperating problem.
C

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/18 18:00 by CarolVoss.

SanDiegan Wrote:
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> The fake "service animals" are everywhere,
> including grocery stores, restaurants and
> Disneyland! Probably a bigger problem in
> California since we have more than our share of
> "certifiable" owners.

Yes, a simple trip to Wal-Mart will have at least one person there with a "service animal", all dressed up in (probably purchased on-line) service animal regalia. What function of daily living does it assist with? price-checking? In the apartment living world, folks with emotional support animals (as well as true service animals, which I have no issue with), do not have to pay a pet deposit either. However, they can be liable for animal damage and the animal must fit in with the apartment property's population. We "evicted" a companion animal who could not abide by the rules and nipped several tenants and staff. In truth though, the problem laid more with the pet's owner. All you need is the doctor's note and I think many docs are happy to write them just to get the person out of their office!

I haven't been on a plane or a train for some time. Had no idea where it has gotten to!

TJY

Oh, you people are just so heartless. My "service giraffe" and I now have some hurt feelings. Now we're both going to have to retreat to our "crying closet" and console ourselves by spending some quality time with some stuffed animals.

You people are very mean spirited. I've been triggered.

(This is a parody)

---

CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
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> Oh, you people are just so heartless. My "service
> giraffe" and I now have some hurt feelings. Now
> we're both going to have to retreat to our "crying
> closet" and console ourselves by spending some
> quality time with some stuffed animals.
>
> You people are very mean spirited. I've been
> triggered.
>
> (This is a parody)

How does the giraffe fit into the closet? He should sue somebody...

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