Congress will consider tightening the rules on service animals allowed to accompany passengers on airliners under legislation introduced this week.
The measure comes as some animal-loving passengers have pushed the limits to bring pets onboard and others have expressed discomfort about traveling in an airborne Noah’s Ark. Earlier this year, Delta announced steps to tighten its procedures after people attempted to fly with a menagerie of comfort animals, including turkeys, snakes, spiders and more.
Burr’s legislation, which was introduced Tuesday as part of the Federal Aviation Authority reauthorization, has the backing of Airlines for America, which represents the airline industry. Burr said the measure also has support from the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO; K9s for Warriors; the American Legion, and the Association of Service Dog Providers for Military Veterans.
Under the ADA, a service animal is defined as a dog that has been trained to perform specific tasks to assist people with disabilities, such as dogs that help blind people navigate. An animal would not fit the bill if it were there simply to offer its owner comfort.
–This post has been updated to clarify that the ADA defines a service animal as a dog that has been trained to perform a specific task.
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