Narcissistic Instagram influencer Piêtra Luccas brought her massive great dane “service dog” with her on a recent United Airlines flight, even though the dog alone took up three seats. How are these shenanigans possibly allowed?
Influencer Boards United Flight In San Francisco With Massive Dog Wearing “Service Animal” Vest
Luccas calls herself a lifestyle, fitness, and fashion model and a “dog mom” and has amassed over two million followers on Instagram. Her dog Charlie, a massive great dane, has amassed 347K followers of his own. The dog is part of the brand…
The two are inseparable and Charlie is often an accoutrement in her skimpy photoshoots. They go drinking together, work out together, and seem to enjoy life together…
…which of course is great, except when this dog is classified as a “service dog” and brought onto an airplane in what appears to be nothing more than a security stunt. She even has a phoogpraher who accompanies her everywhere to take pictures of the two of them.
Here’s Charlie going through security:
Here’s Charlie waiting to board:
And here’s Charlie boarding, with flight attendants rather incredulous:
But somehow, United allowed this tomfoolery and the dog was allowed onboard.
I mean, I suppose we could all dream up an attenuated circumstance in which we could call our pet a “service animal.” The broad definition of a “psychiatric support animal” is virtually limitless. The dog makes your heart flutter? Service animal. Does the dog make you calmer? Service animal. Does the dog help you deal with an economy class seat? Service animal.
Stunts like this undermine the work of real service animals and are an embarrassment…it’s that simple.
Practically, this is even worse because the great dane is so big…the two of them need a whole row between them. What happens on a full flight? I hope they would be bumped and not another passenger.
This dog problem is getting worse and worse…the number of dogs in airports continues to increase.
This woman should fly Bark Air if she really must take her dog along.
And to United: how can you allow foolishness like this? You put the safety of every other passenger onboard at risk with a dog like that. While the dog may be gentle (and honestly, looks lovely), do you really want a dog that size blocking the aisle or exit row during an emergency?
Sorry, but dogs of that size should not fly.
Am I wrong here? Is this dog not a safety risk to everyone onboard? Is this not an absurd stretching of the “service animal” rules?
This dog situation is getting way out of hand and honestly pretty annoying! The whole “service animal” loophole is being exploited left and right. There has to be a way to shut this loophole. Maybe limit the size of service animal?
and everyone else is allowed one carryon and a personal item
The dog is too big. The airline cannot accommodate the dog with reasonable accommodation. The user appears to be abusing the law.
Broadly agree with most of what you write, but it’s rather over the top to state that a large docile dog with no reported misbehavior puts “the safety of every other passenger onboard at risk.”
A well-trained Great Dane poses no more inherent safety risk to airline passengers than any large human traveler would, especially given no reported incidents of misbehavior during the flight.
And, you have reviewed the research into how such an animal would affect an emergency evacuation? I haven’t, because it probably doesn’t exist. But what’s your guess: 1) we’re all safer, 2) no effect, and 3) we’re less safe. I question the smarts of those who votes 1. I’m voting 3. But, you are welcome to take your chances. I’m not.
why is a full fare Y, O, or J ticket not required for the dog?
For the Monty Python fans, what a bunt. I’m an atheist, but I wouldn’t mind a benevolent diety who judges everything. This atheist goes into heavan before a person who parks in handicap spots, brings a horse on the plane as a fake service dog, etc.
BTW. This is just so clear of an example of how Trump has made things worse. Wait, I mean this is an example of how bad Biden screwed up. OK, everybody goofed up but me.
Biden hasn’t been president for 4 months Karen.
My sarcasm escaped you? Do I need to add an explanation for you or just type slower?
I don’t mind an occasional (small) pet on a flight but as someone with a dog allergy, I’d have an issue with this. Surprised UA allowed it.
I disagree about small pets. First, it is not fair to those like you who are allergic. Plus, what do you think will happen if the owner is in 13B and you are in 13A. They will not do the right thing in an evacuation: leave your “luggage.” They will without question, spend 5 minutes (if it takes that long) struggling to get the carrier out in their panic to save Fifi. You end up dead. No non-humans in the cabin ever!
Anticipating the question: what about the extremely obese? I don’t want them in 13B when I’m in 13A for a reason beyond evacuation. But, banning them for safety reasons is a non-starter in a political sense.
You are 200% correct. It’s out of hand, it’s BS and they have to find away to deal with these children.
Looks like the first videos are boarding a Jet Blue flight.
Fun facts. The male great dane weighs in at 145 to 175 pounds. The breed is also known for their smelly flatulence because of the build. They should fly private, although part of the game here is the attention for their SM. Disgusting.. United should capitalize on this trend if people continue to take advantage of *service dogs*. I love dogs, but I respect humans.
You are not wrong…but as they say, don’t hate the player, hate the game.
It’s the fault of those that made these asinine rules.
Nope, you can hate a player who uses the rules this way. How is different than driving my disabled aunt’s car without her and parking in a handicap spot because of her license plate? Please don’t have children if you will spread such antisocial ideas.
Social media. Making people think they are more important than they really are.
This.
Influencers are the worst
This will not change until (a) one of these so called “service animals” bites the face off some child, either in the waiting area or on board and the victim sues the shit out of the airlines and the airlines will claim a type of immunity (we were just following the “law” or (b) the airlines start charging full Y fare for a dog that cannot it in an overhead bin and fails to meet a proper service dog definition, not this other bullshit. There is definitely a role for emotional support animals and some accommodation can be made, but the FAA needs to stop leaving the airlines in a lurch and start cracking down hard on this bullshit. A dog this size does represent a safety hazard in the case of an accident or need to quickly evacuate the aircraft. Nobody knows how a dog, especially a dog of this size!!
Have a look at her social media, and you’ll soon realise that she definitely needs some kind of psychiatric support. That said, this horse should never have been permitted on a regular commerical flight. It’s a total piss-take.
Pete, it might be a psychiatric support animal only because she would be nuts without the financial support this poor pup supplies!
Cannot lie, you either have too much time on your hands or had nothing to cover. I do agree that this is an annoyance, but there is so much dramatization on how entitled this influencer is by fully getting her big dog on a flight (which was allowed because she played the rules right for requirements for a dog to be classified as a service animal). 6/10 rage bait.
I can’t congratulate that woman for putting everyone else in danger to fuel her narcissism (or her business). I highlight issues like this because the regs must change and people like this should be denied boarding every time.
She looks like a disgusting whore.
Why do American women all walk around like streetwalkers look for johns?
Yoga pants are for yoga, not everyday ware.
OK Boomer
Really, a streetwalker? How very brazen of you. But if you feel inclined to tell a woman this to her face, be prepared or not, for the consequences. Btw, no man should EVER tell a woman what she can and can’t wear.
You sound like a childless cat lady.
Islam is right about women.
She is not an American, She is a Brazilian but somehow lives in San Francisco because we can’t keep anybody out of this country. The US seems to be for everybody but actual Americans,
What a nonsense statement.
These airlines need to have the balls to deny these people boarding. Let them sue. You dont see any animals on cruise ships.
Also, she has a nice ass.
More proof there is no lower form of life than a social media “influencer.” The govt needs to put some kind of registry in place for true service animals.
Narcissistic and influencer are synonymous terms
I believe that is Ross Mathews sitting in the first row with a multi-colored jacket!
Save the dog. Euthanize her.
Couldn’t agree more.
Matthew, I agree. This is ridiculous