GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — The Department of Transportation has ruled that airlines will no longer allow Emotional Support Animals on airplanes. Local assistance dog organization, Paws With A Cause, explains what this ruling means for them.
Paws With A Cause, based in Wayland, custom-trains Assistance Dogs for people with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act defines an Assistance Dog as “Dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.”
“PAWS is an accredited service dog training program which will not be impacted by these updated rules,” commented PAWS CEO Michele Suchovsky. “However, we are glad conversations are occurring around this topic to ensure all people and their service dogs are safe in confined places, like an airplane.”
This ruling will continue to allow Assistance Dogs trained to perform tasks to help their client’s disability as well as Psychiatric Support dogs. Emotional Support Animals will be treated as a pet, requiring the owner to pay the pet fee and the animal to ride in a carrier.
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