Seems the last time I posted here was way more than a year ago. Time flies. I am sorry for the gentleman who had difficulty with one leg of his trip on Southwest Airlines. I am also concerned that this information (above) about the LEGAL DEFINITION OF A PSYCHIATRIC SERVICE DOG - per THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT concerning protected access.

Tho it is not necessary for your doctor's letter to describe your emotional problems or name your specific mental illnesses, my doctor specified just WHAT my Psychiatric Service Dog does for me.

The law states ---
Q: What is a service animal?
A: The ADA defines a service animal as any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability. If they meet this definition, animals are considered service animals under the ADA regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified by a state or local government.

• Service animals perform some of the functions and tasks that the individual with a disability cannot perform for him or herself. "Seeing eye dogs" are one type of service animal, used by some individuals who are blind. This is the type of service animal with which most people are familiar. But there are service animals that assist persons with other kinds of disabilities in their day-to-day activities.
• Some examples include:
• _____Alerting persons with hearing impairments to sounds.
• _____ Pulling wheelchairs or carrying and picking up things for persons with mobility impairments.
• _____Assisting persons with mobility impairments with balance.
• _____Providing emotional support to aid a person to leave their home and interact with others.
  

My doctor's letter explains that my support dog allows me to leave my home and interact with others, also to help me keep my home more orderly and to help me organize my life. My diagnoses are bipolar II and CPTSD (Complex PTSD) and my level of disorder is enough for me to be on SSI as a disabled person. It is not necessary to be qualified thru Social Security as disabled, just that your psychiatrist be willing to put his John Hancock on a letter that explains that your illness renders you disabled in public without your dog along with you.

I have a current health certificate for my dog, her rabies certificate, the letter from the doctor and a xerox of the above law. At each airport, I would immediately go to the check-in booth and tell them that I was there to show them my documentation to clear my dog for boarding. She is small (less than 15 pounds) and I carry her about the airport in her carrier. Some of the people were startled as they had not dealt with psych service dogs, just seeing eye dogs and such, but the doctor's letter carried the heaviest weight -- plus a print out of the above government document, i.e.,


Statement from the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and the National Association of Attorneys General's Disability Rights Task Force statement to promote and protect the rights of individuals with disabilities. (see above again)

As I traveled cross country, then back two months later (ALL via Southwest), I learned from more experienced employees to get in the line for boarding with unattended children and to request a bulkhead seat so her carrier could be placed in front of my feet rather than crammed under the seat in front of me. The minute we left the ground, she would fall asleep. At each stop, I would lift her carrier to my lap and open up the zipper so she could stand up in the small carrier and stretch her legs a bit since there was not time to take her for a walk.

I carried all her documents in a zipperd 3-hole binder case with each document in one of those transparent protective covers. This made it easy to present her documents and made it look very professional. The doctor's letter was on top, the document above was second - and the letter was all it took for all but one SW employee to give me the nod and go ahead. Only twice did an employee call for a supervisor to double-check.

General policies - Never get upset or angry. Smile and be polite. Don't freak at any delays, but be patient. If you are denied, just explain that the law allows her aboard, and that all the other SW flight connections have been aware of the status of service animal access rights or were able to get in touch with a supervisor who could explain that the dog is legally protected.

Now, I can see that a LARGE dog (too large to be pulled along in a carrier) would cause some employees to freak out some... So have a VEST and a large TAG. So if you are a psych patient and wish to acquire a dog, put aside your love of big dogs and determine what breed is best for you. A Peke has a miniature voice, a quiet sedate nature, and are bonded to the owner rather than wanting to visit with everyone around.

I do not suggest terrier breeds or Pomeranians or Chihuahuas, unless you are secure that the particular dog is particularly quiet. This again is why I STRONGLY advise that no one start with a cute little puppy. Look for an adult dog, purebred or not. With an adult (we are talking OVER TWO YEARS OLD), what you see is what you get. Any puppy is a crap shoot.

Do be aware that Breed specific rescue organizations often have the VERY WORST dogs who, from temperment or maltreatment have severe emotional and/or behavioral problems. Look for someone having to find a home for a house-broken dog with good behavior, being sold or adopted out because of the owner no longer being able to keep it. Arrange for a 2-week trial period and use a written agreement that covers all about the money paid and about the refund and why the dog may have to be returned.

REMEMBER - When a dog can cause a psychiatric disability to be alleviated so a person can handle going out in public, THEN THE DOG DOES QUALIFY AS A SERVICE ANIMAL, despite not being trained to do some special "job".

It is the alleviation of the disability allowing the person to function that qualifies the animal as a SERVICE dog. Disability is needed and the dog must directly alleviate symptoms of the disability to let the disabled person have normal access to life outside their home.

Tuesday morning, I walked the half block to the store, leaving my dog behind, thinking I could handle it --- I thought I was doing okay, but by the time I got home, I was in a panic attack, that grew steadily and I was tanked up on Valium all day long.

Learn the law, learn your rights, take the steps to organize your documentation in a formal professional manner to present when requested, and keep your calm, don't get angry at delays and if you are told you can't board at an airport WHEN YOU HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION OF DISABILITY and how the dog is effective treatment for the disability, then you hae the law on your side, so smile and be patient, and ask them to please get in touch with the senior employee on duty. It may take a while, but if you stay calm and cool, it will work out if the doctor has provided that vital letter.

Airline employees are just concerned about getting in trouble and losing their job - try to see it from their point of view. And give yourself a lot of time between flights and let their be at least 20-30 minutes allotted to do this check thru so the staff doesn't feel pressured to make rapid decisions that might get them in serious trouble.

My dog and I love Southwest Airlines and I am sorry you ran into problems at that particular check in counter with the particular person(s) on duty.

Teri