Photo: inc.com
You can currently fly on any American Airlines plane with a cat, dog or even a miniature horse, granted the animal is certified as an emotional support animal. That certification can even be obtained online, which explains the high number of flying animals these days.
The downside to this situation is that many of these animals, though certified, aren’t properly trained. And incidents do happen and they can have serious consequences, just like it happened the other day, when a flight attendant was bit on the hand by a dog and needed 5 stitches for the injury.
USA Today reports that the attack happened on flight 3506 from Texas to North Carolina, leaving the unidentified flight attendant in need of stitches upon landing. The Association of Flight Attendants, which represents cabin crew from over 20 airlines, says it should raise the alarm on the need to impose stricter regulations on the less-defined category of emotional support animals.
“The incident occurred on American flight 3506 from Dallas-Fort Worth to Greensboro, North Carolina, an American Eagle flight operated by Envoy Air, a subsidiary of American. The plane was an Embraer 175, a regional jet,” the report says.
No details of the attack are provided, as neither is the type of dog involved. However, in many cases of emotional support animals, a lack of proper training is to blame – a problem that stricter regulations would solve, according to the union.
“What happened on yesterday’s American Airlines flight is completely unacceptable and inexcusable,” the union says in a statement to the media outlet. “We need the [U.S.] DOT to take action now, so events like the one that happened yesterday do not continue to occur on our planes. This is fundamentally about maintaining safety, health, and security for passengers and crew, while ensuring accessibility for those who need it.”
As of this moment, American Airlines explicitly allows cats and dogs as emotional support animals but, according to Dallas News, you could also bring a miniature horse for emotional support if you go through the right channels.
USA Today reports that the attack happened on flight 3506 from Texas to North Carolina, leaving the unidentified flight attendant in need of stitches upon landing. The Association of Flight Attendants, which represents cabin crew from over 20 airlines, says it should raise the alarm on the need to impose stricter regulations on the less-defined category of emotional support animals.
“The incident occurred on American flight 3506 from Dallas-Fort Worth to Greensboro, North Carolina, an American Eagle flight operated by Envoy Air, a subsidiary of American. The plane was an Embraer 175, a regional jet,” the report says.
No details of the attack are provided, as neither is the type of dog involved. However, in many cases of emotional support animals, a lack of proper training is to blame – a problem that stricter regulations would solve, according to the union.
“What happened on yesterday’s American Airlines flight is completely unacceptable and inexcusable,” the union says in a statement to the media outlet. “We need the [U.S.] DOT to take action now, so events like the one that happened yesterday do not continue to occur on our planes. This is fundamentally about maintaining safety, health, and security for passengers and crew, while ensuring accessibility for those who need it.”
As of this moment, American Airlines explicitly allows cats and dogs as emotional support animals but, according to Dallas News, you could also bring a miniature horse for emotional support if you go through the right channels.
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