I routinely mock fake service dogs on this blog and hold their owners in contempt. Those who selfishly slap a “service animal” vest on their poorly-trained dog place in jeopardy the ability of those who truly need service animals to travel. But today, rather than showcase another example of a fake service dog, I will showcase an example of a gentle and well-trained service dog that does belong on an airplane.
Meet Champ, A Real Airplane Service Dog
Meet Champ and her owner, Cassidy. Cassidy transparently explains her disability:
I have a rare genetic type of dwarfism, called Conradi-Hünermann syndrome which affects everything in my body. It mainly affects my spine, causing me to have kyphoscoliosis, meaning my spine bends on two different planes…
Along with my kyphoscoliosis, I have Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency (PFFD) which causes a limb length discrepancy. Basically, my entire right side is about five inches shorter than my left side. So in order to help me walk more comfortably in public, I wear an orthotic foot on foot prosthesis (pictured above). And I also use other mobility aids like my service dog Champ, and a manual wheelchair sometimes.
I am also blind in my right eye and deaf in my left ear, so I wear a hearing aid and glasses to help with this. I have a few other conditions like patchy alopecia, restrictive lung disease, and ichthyosis. And I have had a grand total of 43 surgeries (41 spine surgeries and two eye surgeries) in my 21 years on this planet!
First, Cassidy is far braver than I am to travel the world despite such physical limitations. I have a huge amount of respect for her. Second, it is clear that her need for a service dog is far from a fantastical delusion of a selfish narcissist, unlike so many of the Lululemon prima donnas who parade their dogs into first class to avoid pet cabin fees.
That alone, however, is not enough. She may greatly need a service dog, but a service dog that is poorly trained or poorly behaved is no less a terror to other passengers than any other animal onboard.
But here we meet Champ, who is clearly gentle and well-trained…just look at how skilfully he handles a TSA checkpoint and sits quietly onboard.
This is how it should be done, folks. This is how every dog should act in an airport or on a plane. Dogs (and dog owners) like this merit not an ounce of scorn from me.
And finally, kudos to Cassidy for buying a second seat for her (large) service dog. That makes the experience so much better for everyone. I do realize that not everyone may be able to afford it, but it shows such respect for her fellow travelers.
See folks, I’m not always against dogs on planes. But this story is a stark reminder of how few Cassidy + Champ situations I see onboard and more like this or this or this.
Don’t forget about the attempt to bring an emotional support peacock…
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42880690
(ED NOTE: note the credit in the BBC story ;))
Thank you Cassidy and Champ for sharing your travel experience with us. All the best going forward! And shame on those that diminish the value of a true helper in life.
All she needs is a saddle on that thing.
Kudos to them and all of the other differently abled souls who brave it out to do the things most of us take for granted.
People wouldn’t have to fake a service dog if it wasn’t completely impossible to travel safely with their beloved animals. It’s easy to shame the owners, but we need to look into the “why”. Most of us cannot afford to charter a private plane in order to relocate and bring our animal(s) with us. And too many beloved pets have died when traveling in cargo. Airlines need to do better, as do apartments, and other necessary facilities. Especially post-pandemic, most of us have pets now, and we should not struggle to find somewhere to live because of it, or struggle to relocate, travel etc.
If you want to travel with your pet, then drive. Or you can hire a house sitter who will also care for your pet, or board your pet. These are all things you should consider when getting a pet. Such is important for the well-being of a pet, just like proper veterinarian care (and knowing those costs, so the pet does not get dumped at a pound bc an owner will not or cannot pay the medical costs). It ain’t cheap, and the rest of us should not have to suffer your poor choices.
Well said!
Aside from heat issues (which no one can control, but you shouldn’t put a pet in the cargo hold if that could be a problem when you are traveling), most pets that have issues in the hold are those with brachycephalic issues and they are typically small enough to be carried on the flight with you.
While not on the level of children, pets are a big responsibility and having one forces some sacrifices in terms of your freedom. It’s not like people just end up with pets. They have to actively choose to obtain them.
If a pet is too big to fit in a carry case, then it either has to have actual training as a service animal or it needs to go in the hold, and if it’s unsafe to go in the hold either you shouldn’t travel or find someone else to take care of your pet until you come back (or in the case of moving, until it’s safe for them to fly again). No one else, including other pet owners, should have to bear the burden of someone not thinking through what pet ownership would actually mean for their lives.
While it sucks to have your life slightly circumscribed by pet ownership, it’s not like the airlines have many other options. I mean what would you suggest as an alternative to pretending your pet is a service animal? I get that private travel is out of the question for most people, but I think someone traveling with a pet too large to fit in a case should have to buy out an entire side of seats if they don’t want to have their pet travel in the hold. At least that would limit the untrained (as a service animal) pet’s interaction with other passengers. If that’s still too expensive, maybe they just have to travel less than they used to now that they have another living being to care about.
While pets aren’t children, no one would be shocked to learn that people’s lifestyles change when they have kids, including not being able to travel as much because of the increased difficulty and cost. Even if it’s not on the same scale, pets do create changes to your lifestyle and increase costs in certain places. It’s frustrating to me, especially as a pet owner, to see people thinking only of the additional costs and changes of caring for the pet (like food and walking dogs and litter boxes etc) when getting a pet. There are other considerations that need to be taken into account as well, including what to do with your pet when you travel. There’s no easy solution to traveling with pets on airplanes that doesn’t come with some cost to the pet owner. It still doesn’t justify faking having a service animal and subjecting other passengers to that when that’s not the case.
I totally agree with the point of the post, but . . . “premodannas” ?? from a world traveler like you, Matthew?
The term is prima donna.
In English, the plural is prima donnas.
In the original Italian, I believe the plural is prime donne.
premo don-nos is the male version describing the period , pre-donald trump .
That is that stupid Grammarly which is more trouble than it’s worth!
While I get why you and others may be frustrated by some people taking advantage of the service animal rules, at the end of the day, it is not up to you, me, or anyone else to judge who is disabled enough to require a service animal on a flight (or anywhere else). It is up to the airlines, government and the medical community. Someone’s disability may not be visible to you or other people, and they may still need a service animal. Someone may be a borderline case of needing one or not needing one. Who knows. Instead of whining and moaning on this blog, what you should be doing is lobbying the government to clarify the various rules surrounding this with new legislation.
Somehow I don’t think “new legislation” will protect us from the Oropouche Virus .
Thank you! Not every disability is visible and it’s weird to celebrate one over others you deem less worthy.
You are absolutely correct that it’s impossible to tell whether someone “needs” a service animal, and frankly I don’t care whether or not someone “needs” that animal. It’s not our job to determine that. I also wouldn’t care if someone with no “need” for a service animal had a properly trained pet and brought them on board under that qualification. What I do care about is that said service animal is actually trained and behaves in a way that makes them capable of flying on a plane without bothering a single other passenger (allergies aside). Just because someone has determined they need a service animal, through doctor or otherwise, shouldn’t mean they can just bring any animal on board or that they get to circumvent the rules other pet owners follow.
Nice profile of Cassidy and Champ. Sadly training a dog like Champ takes years, and wait lists to receive such dogs are long.
FWIW, I take some issue with the use of Lululemon prima donnas—not because it is inaccurate but because, like “Karen,” it is a pejorative term directed at and evoking images of women while letting men off the hook. Just food for thought.
While I respect your point, I don’t see men doing it. I see well-dressed white women doing it. But I’m just one sample.
My whole career (from which I’m retired) was with government assisted low-income housing. The issue of service animals in low-income housing is a nightmare. The criteria for a service/companion/emotional support animal (all different classifications) requires in some cases nothing more than the owner’s statement of their disability and need for the animal. In some programs the cost of the animals food and medical care can be included as a medical expense to lower the person’s rent based on income. Taxpayers are funding this use of unfounded, unproven treatment of common household pets as medical necessities for people willing to take advantage of the system….
Is there a legal block to the following suggestion?
1. A service dog is a highly trained animal and is presumably registered to act in that role.
2. Only registered animals will be permitted onboard.
3. That’s it!
Other than REAL service dogs like CHamp I do not see why all of these fake service need to fly!! Yesterday a woman and her little dog(red service vest) had to board with Pre-boards needing help???Many people with dogs get on early even young people with dog beds,
Here’s a thought. If you can bring a shitty child on a plane who can scream and cry uncontrollably and shit in a diaper, then you can bring a dog. Genuinely don’t see the difference
If you cannot see the difference between a human being and a dog, then you are a stupid fool.
LOL yes.
Full fare J!
If I want to pay 3K for my poodle to fly with me to Florida, I should have the option to donate my 3K to UA. Just give her the standard J service (she’ll eat the meal and DEMAND part of mine)