New Rules from U.S. Department of Transportation: Tell Your Emotional Support Peacocks to Stay Home – This Is a Dog’s World Now
On January 28, 2021 by Schnader in AviationBrittany C. Wakim published a client alert, “New Rules from U.S. Department of Transportation: Tell Your Emotional Support Peacocks to Stay Home – This Is a Dog’s World Now.”
The U.S. Department of Transportation (“DOT”) isn’t horsing around with its new rules governing service animals on commercial airline flights, which went into effect last week. In response to a growing backlash as to perceived fishy interpretations of what qualifies as a service animal, the new narrow rules will allow airlines to limit service animals to dogs that meet specific criteria. Under the new rules, airlines are not required to recognize emotional support animals as service animals and may treat them as pets. Therefore, the emotional support peacocks, pigs, cats, rabbits, miniature horses, monkeys, hamsters, and comfort turkeys will have to find a new means of transport.