Can dogs fly on planes, with special mention on the emotional support dogs?
Not on most airlines.
Holiday travel is fast accelerating in these times when the vast majority of the populace has been vaccinated against Covid 19. People who have service dogs in their stead are also niches of those travelers who have pent-up desires to proceed with their travel plans which have been postponed due to the pandemic.
You should be informed that as of March 2021, the Department of Transportation has issued new guidelines which rendered null and void the free-wheeling policies towards emotional support service dogs before, with regard to air travel.
At this point, airlines are not required to allow service animals like emotional support dogs into their cabins. Some only allow these pets into the cargo area while the majority have opted not to allow these animals entirely into their planes.
But all airlines are still required to allow psychiatric services dogs into their planes.
If it’s not absolutely necessary to bring your emotional services dogs during air travel, then don’t do so because only a few airlines have opted to allow this. If you have to, think about the cons.
Flying is a stressful experience for dogs. They are extracted from a familiar and friendly environment into a scenario that may have bright lights, lots of noisy people, drastic changes in air pressure, and uncomfortable temperatures. It may not be worth the trip if it causes anxiety in the service dog.
You should also think about the fact that airlines that allow emotional services dogs into their planes, charge typically $125 per trip for your pet to fly with you.
But if you will be away for a minimum of two to four weeks, and you are not prepared to expose your canine to cruel conditions, you might be forced to leave your dog in the care of a pet-friendly person or board it in a licensed dog care facility.
