First of all, thank you for trying to weed out those who abuse the situation just to fly with their pets. However, I have a few issues. First your statement that reads "As is the case today, the Customer with the disability must be able to provide the credible verbal assurance that the animal is a trained service animal" is a clear violation of ADA since you are requiring verbal communications while there are some disabilities that include unable to verbally communicate, for example Autism, Cerebral Palsy, ALS, just to name a few. Second, I agree that all service and emotional support animals should have to be trained and certified. I believe that those credentials should have to be presented before an animal boards. Too many internet papers and scams going around to get any animal a piece of paper. Third, to those who say think about us with allergies, us who don't like listening to whimpers or barks, oh the smells, etc and want them not allowed at all or put in a section on the plane away from all of us! Right there, is discrimination, and is against the law regarding legal service animals. Because believe it or not, those with disabilities have rights and protections as well as the able bodies persons. It is the government who says only dogs and miniature horses can be service animals, and is the reason they cannot be banned from flying with a person with disabilities. I have a daughter who has multiple disabilities, is in a wheelchair, and has a cat who decided to become her fever and seizure alert cat after we rescued him. However, we know the laws, and because cats cannot be legal service animals, we don't try to get away with a fake document. While it would be easier to fly to each of her specialists instead of drive, it is rude and insensitive people who make traveling by plane miserable for my daughter. She has no immune system and has to where a mask. Instead of asking us a question about why she is wearing a mask (like inquisitive children often do) they say I am not getting on a plane with her! It is her or me! Then there are those who sigh loudly if she is boarded last or first in an attempt to disrupt the other passengers the least. Complaining how come she can have an oxygen tank and a medical bag. No wonder there is no room for us! Don't get me wrong, airlines and staff have said and done their fair share of rude commenting or discrimination as well. Due to this, we don't fly! So many people can't possibly understand that someone else has needs different than your own. For those who complain about having allergies, and wanting no animal to fly while you are on board or ever according to some comments, I can only say this. In a perfect world there would be some way to check if there is an animal aboard your flight, so that you may take an alternative flight, ahead of time, before the day of flight. My daughter has several allergies that trigger her too, so it would be nice to be able to not sit by someone who has cigarette smoke on their clothes or strong perfume or cologne. We ask to switch and calmly explain why, carry extra face masks to help, carry her Epipens, and extra allergy meds with. I call ahead several times to ensure the airlines know what our needs are, send in all my daughter's documents for her wheelchair, oxygen, Epipens, doctors notes about her diagnoses, etc all ahead of time as well as have them on me when we travel. However, I always forget to request not to be put on a plane with people who are rude, discriminatory, or make nasty comments. In the end, people with disabilities are people like you and me! They hear and see all the nasty things said about or to them, and sadly it is usually the disabled person who offers to get off the flight or gets kicked off for a lack of understanding and knowledge in others. Lastly, allergies to animals aren't a recognized disability under the ADA!
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