Veronica Morris

Part II: DOT enacted changes over worries people might fraudulently represent pets as psychiatric service animals, but it is just as easy to 'fake' a service animal that alerts to seizures or diabetes. Some people even purchase a guide harness to pass their pet off as a guide dog! Requiring notice and documentation for one class of service animal will encourage fraudulent activity for other types of service animals. I encourage DOT to adopt measures other than documentation to weed out 'fake' service animals. The ADA provides two questions that can be asked to determine legitimacy (1) Is this service animal required because of a disability? 2) What type of assistance does this animal perform?). If an animal is disruptive or destructive, no matter if it is a service animal or not, it can legally be forced to leave: DOT can ask these or similar questions for “credible verbal assurance”. Although not required by the ADA, DOT might require markings indicating service animal status (eg vest, service harness, leash slide, bandana, markings on a collar, etc). I suggest DOT implement punishments for fraudulent service animal activity. If a person has fraudulently claimed a pet as a service animal, they should be refused service from that airline in the future (regardless of whether they have the animal with them). If the animal is disruptive or destructive during the flight, the passenger and animal can be forced to deplane, and/or refused their return flight while they have the animal accompanying them. Fines or jail time for fraudulent service animal activity could be implemented. I support the Psychiatric Service Dog Society's positions. I urge DOT to be nondiscriminatory, and to outline questions that can be asked to provide "credible verbal assurance". I encourage DOT to provide consequences for fraudulent service animal activity. As to emotional support animals (pets), either DOT should require documentation, or they should exclude them from in-cabin air travel.