topic Re: Comfort Pets On A Plane in Community Chat

Comfort Pets On A Plane

Hershey2 — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 17:35:50 GMT

I would like to fly with my dog, a 19 pound miniature golden doodle. Unfortunately she is too long legged to fit in a carrier under the seat in front of me. I have seen and heard so many mean comments about comfort care dogs going into stores or flying with owner. I certainly don`t want to wear a T shirt announcing to the world my need for her. A train is not possible, you can only have a travel time of seven hours and I am not comfortable driving long distances. Has anyone flown with their dog, does this really annoy and anger people that much?

Re: Comfort Pets On A Plane

Bird mama — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 17:39:00 GMT

I don't have any personal experience to share - I just wish you the best of luck with this situation.

Re: Comfort Pets On A Plane

bri20 — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 17:40:17 GMT

If the dog doesn't fit under the seat, where will it sit?

Re: Comfort Pets On A Plane

jaxs mom — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 17:43:31 GMT

I haven't done it. I did fly with a baby rabbit in my purse when I was a teenager. I didn't take it out though. This was back before security was extra vigilent. I'm not sure what they thought was in my purse when it went through x-ray.

As long as you get airline approval it doesn't matter what the other passengers think.

Re: Comfort Pets On A Plane

Jacie — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 17:44:21 GMT

Make it easy and consult the airline.

Re: Comfort Pets On A Plane

NJgirl 1205 — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 17:47:19 GMT

I really sympathize but I have to say that it is a touchy subject. I once sat next to someone with a little dog a couple of years ago. The carrier didn't fit in front of her seat so it was sort of in the middle, partly in my leg space, if that makes sense. It was a flight to California from NY, the dog was scared, shaking, wimpering, squirming, and pooped shortly after takeoff. I do not have to tell you that it was a VERY long flight.

I hope you find a solution but I hope you can understand that those who sit with you and around you are paying customers too.

Re: Comfort Pets On A Plane

sunshine45 — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 17:46:37 GMT

the only types of dogs i have seen on a plane are those that can fit underneath the seat in front of you in a carrier. i have never seen anyone take an animal out of the carrier at all.

Re: Comfort Pets On A Plane

Mz iMac — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 17:47:59 GMT

@jaxs mom wrote:
I did fly with a baby rabbit in my purse when I was a teenager. I didn't take it out though.
I'm not sure what they thought was in my purse when it went through x-ray.

As long as you get airline approval it doesn't matter what the other passengers think.

@jaxs mom

Re: Comfort Pets On A Plane

bri20 — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 17:50:33 GMT

You can't expect your seat mates to put up with a dog. I would be terrified

Re: Comfort Pets On A Plane

CelticCrafter — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 17:53:18 GMT

@bri20 wrote:
If the dog doesn't fit under the seat, where will it sit?

My husband was on a flight to Florida during one of the Westminster Dog Shows and a show dog was out of the crate in the seat next to him. The owner was not in the same row, but across the aisle.

He has a fear of dogs and refused to sit next to an uncrated dog the entire flight and told the attendant either he had to be reassigned or the dog had to be moved.

The owner was not happy but she and her dog were moved elsewhere.

Re: Comfort Pets On A Plane

CJC — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 17:53:48 GMT

I am not familiar with a comfort pet. Would this be a dog that is classified as a type of service animal? If so, I would think a service dog would be permitted anyplace the owner goes, including on a plane. But if your dog is a companion only, as most of our dogs and cats are, I believe he must travel in a kennel that fits under the seat if you want him in the cabin with you. Otherwise he must travel in a crate in cargo--airlines do this all the time.

Re: Comfort Pets On A Plane

Goldengate8361 — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 17:55:37 GMT

Do you really think your dog would enjoy this? Before making a decision, I would hope that you'd think of it from his/her perspective. If you're extremely anxious, your doctor can probably give you some meds.

Re: Comfort Pets On A Plane

Mz iMac — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 17:57:26 GMT

"You will need a special letter from a licensed mental health professional.

Regulations require that the airline accommodate reasonable requests to fly with an ESA or PSD if the airline is contacted at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled departure time and the following described letter is offered on request (you may have to FAX it to them). If you do not contact them in advance or do not give them the letter in advance so that they have the opportunity to call the doctor's office to verify it, then they can deny you."

FULL ARTICLE LINK

@Hershey2

"I certainly don`t want to wear a T shirt announcing to the world my need for her."

A comfort & therapy dog are suppose to wear a special vest. At least the ones in my state do. No need to wear a T shirt announcing same. The vest is enough.

Re: Comfort Pets On A Plane

NickNack — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 17:58:00 GMT

@Goldengate8361 wrote:
Do you really think your dog would enjoy this? Before making a decision, I would hope that you'd think of it from his/her perspective. If you're extremely anxious, your doctor can probably give you some meds.

This was my thought, too. I doubt a plane ride would be very pleasant for the dog.

Re: Comfort Pets On A Plane

bri20 — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 17:58:36 GMT

@CelticCrafter wrote:
@bri20 wrote:
If the dog doesn't fit under the seat, where will it sit?
My husband was on a flight to Florida during one of the Westminster Dog Shows and a show dog was out of the crate in the seat next to him. The owner was not in the same row, but across the aisle.
He has a fear of dogs and refused to sit next to an uncrated dog the entire flight and told the attendant either he had to be reassigned or the dog had to be moved.
The owner was not happy but she and her dog were moved elsewhere.

That's terrible

Re: Comfort Pets On A Plane

tansy — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 18:04:12 GMT

It seems that you, the OP, are willing to make other passengers, possibly even your dog, uncomfortable because of your need for the dog to be with you. There are always trade offs with owning a pet and easy travel is one of the drawbacks.

Why do I get the impression this is a baiting thread?

Re: Comfort Pets On A Plane

NJgirl 1205 — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 18:03:28 GMT

@bri20 wrote:
@CelticCrafter wrote:
@bri20 wrote:
If the dog doesn't fit under the seat, where will it sit?
My husband was on a flight to Florida during one of the Westminster Dog Shows and a show dog was out of the crate in the seat next to him. The owner was not in the same row, but across the aisle.
He has a fear of dogs and refused to sit next to an uncrated dog the entire flight and told the attendant either he had to be reassigned or the dog had to be moved.
The owner was not happy but she and her dog were moved elsewhere.

That's terrible

OMG, they purchased a seat for a dog????!! what next? Is that even safe for the dog or the other passengers? Glad that they moved the dog with the owner and did the right thing by your husband.

Re: Comfort Pets On A Plane

Yardlie — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 18:03:46 GMT

I helped an older lady in our neighborhood apply to have her cat classified as an emotional support pet. First of all, you have to be under the care of a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist has to write a letter stating that you need the pet as an emotional support pet. The psychiatrist had to sign the letter and put down her license number. We found out that the airlines are really checking out the doctors and their licenses, as many people were just making up their own letters or having a general physician write the letter.

She also had to see her vet to have the animal checked out and a very specific form filled out by the vet. Copies of the form went to 4 or 5 different Federal and state agencies. The letter has to say the breed, name, color, and weight of the animal and that it is up to date on all immunizations. She had to pay about $50 for that. The form did not even ask for the weight of the animal, and the airline gave her a hard time about that.

You do not need to register with one of those "Animal Registries" online. They'll take your money to register your pet, make a tag showing the animal's photo and name, etc. That is not required by the airline, and it does not count as proof of anything.

Then, we had to fax all this information from the psychiatrist and the vet to the airline's animal medical center 48 hours before the flight. The airline then gave the final approval as to whether or not my neighbor and the pet met all the criteria.

All this information was good for one year. After a year, the process has to be repeated. Otherwise, there is a $200-$250 fee you can pay to have your animal fly with you. It varies from airline to airline.

I'm not sure if emotional support animals have to fit under the seat in front of their owner. I think that is for animals that are not emotional support animals.

The information I posted is just for emotional support animals. Everything is different for actual service animals for the blind, etc.

Re: Comfort Pets On A Plane

Moonchilde — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 18:05:41 GMT

Doing a quick google, apparently if you have a special letter signed by your doctor describing why you require the support, an "emotional support animal" can fly with you in the cabin.

If you decline to provide the letter spelling out the need, the airline would consider it a pet and it would fly under pet rules. You would also, of course, need to contact the air,ine in advance and inquire as to what they specifically need from you and how they will handle it.

Judging by what came up when I googled - mostly people with ill-behaved pets making flights a nightmare and angry passengers - yout dog should be excellently behaved and silent, sweet-smelling and not need to relieve itself. I do recall a recent story in the media about a service pig that poo'd profusely in flight, and the uproar that followed among the passengers.

Re: Comfort Pets On A Plane

Burnsite — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 18:11:43 GMT

I traveled a bit this summer and can't remember which flight this was . . . but the people in the seats on the other side of me had a large dog with them, uncrated. It was a very quiet, well-trained dog. I forget the breed, but a very large dog. It kind of folded down like a Borzoi, but I think it was a different kind of dog. ETA, they had bought the dog a seat, the middle seat between them, but he/she kind of folded down mostly under the seat ahead and the airline seat she/he was in.

So . . . everyone on the flight was fine with the dog, who didn't let out a peep during the flight. Huge as it was, I didn't even notice the dog, who was very quiet. BUT, as we left the plane and walked through the Fort Lauderdale airport, I heard a loud, drunken voice saying, "Oh, cr*p! The world is so stupid! Everyone is nuts! Look at the giant dog!! Political correctness gone nuts!!!"

So people do fulminate. This was not a guy who was even in the plane. He was just exercising his 1st amendment rights to comment on something he knew nothing about. The dog was a lot easier to fly with than many a person I have shared space with!

I like to see dogs on a flight as long as they are trained and calm. I totally agree with the poster who pointed out that a terrified pooping pet on a long flight would be something out of Dante's Inferno.