Anonymous

Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel lumps together two things that are actually separate: Emotional Support Animals (ESA) and Psychiatric Service Dogs (PSD). An ESA is a pet with no formal training as a Service Animal but taught to behave in public. It is not trained to perform tasks nor to do work. A PSD is trained to perform tasks and do work, as well as trained to behave appropriately in public. It is a misnomer to lump the two together. A PSD is a Service Animal just like a guide dog for a person who is blind, or a Hearing Dog for a person who is Deaf or Hard of Hearing. All these categories of Service Animals are trained to perform tasks or do work, depending on the needs of the owner/handler. Please recognize the difference between an ESA and a Service Animal, which includes a PSD. Requiring an ESA owner to provide documentation is appropriate; requiring a PSD owner/handler to do the same is not. If Service Animals for persons with other types of disabilities are not required to submit documentation of their disability, then neither should this type of undue burden be place upon PSD owner/handlers. It is unfair to categorically discriminate against one type of Service Animal because: a) confusion exists between ESA and PSD; b) there is a suspicion of abuse of the ESA category; and c) there is no documented abuse of the PSD category. To sanction discrimination against an individual that uses a PSD based on undocumented abuse of the PSD category and suspicion of abuse of the ESA category is unfair and inappropriate, not to mention illegal.The Americans With Disabilities Act includes protection for PSD users; these Rules are the only place where discrimination occurs. Please rectify this unwarranted discrimination.