Hi Chemar,

You are correct, I do not not the original poster's situation but I thought I mentioned that. I apologize if I came across as implying that a mentally disabled person has any less of a right to a service animal than a physically disabled person (such as a blind person). I did not mean that at all. I have a mental disability myself as well as have a friend with an emotional support animal and a couple blind friends with seeing eye dogs. These animals are essential to their lives and I'm very glad we have the law in place to allow them to travel with these companions.

I did, however, get the sense that the poster was just trying to get her puppy to be able to travel with her not that she needs the puppy to function normally in her day to day life (services a service/emotional support animal provide and the reason we have the law). That may not have been his/her intention but I just wanted to make the community aware that using the service/emotional support animal law as a means to to be able to travel unrestricted with your pet is truly an abuse of the system.

While I have never denied a service animal, I have heard of and saw a case where it happened. Agents sometimes have a hard time distinguishing between a pet and a service/emotional support animal and it is their job to discern what really is a service animal because we cannot board pets unrestricted. While emotional support animals do require documentation, service animals don't necessarily. I don't want to state specific examples but I will say that I've read about cases where the passenger went to check in, was advised of the fee to bring their pet, then tried to pass the pet off as a service animal to avoid the fees. Of course this doesn't happen all the time but it does make it a lot harder for the true service/emotional support animals out there.

I'll just give an example of my own case. This is part of the reason why this issue is very near and dear to my heart. I have a pet I am very emotionally attached to. I honestly feel like she's my only friend and I have considered asking my doctor for the letter to make her an emotional support animal so I can fly with her. Since I work for an airline I fly a lot! and she is too large to be a cabin pet so the only way I could travel with here anywhere would be as an emotional support animal. But the fact of the matter is that I don't need my dog with me at all times, I can function fine without her so would not feel right asking my doctor to consider her an emotional support animal.

I am not saying our mental disabilities are less life-altering than physical disabilities. I'm just saying we shouldn't use our mental disabilities as a means to travel with our pets unless they truly are providing a service. I meant no disrespect to the original poster.

Thanks!
Anin