Can An Emotional Support Dog Fly? Answering All Your Questions

If you depend on an emotional support animal for your mental health, you’ve probably wondered whether you can bring your furry friend along when flying. This article will answer all your questions about traveling with an emotional support dog on an airplane.

What is an Emotional Support Animal?

An emotional support animal (ESA) is an animal that provides therapeutic benefit to its owner through companionship. An ESA is prescribed to a person with a disability by a licensed mental health professional to help lessen symptoms of certain conditions like anxiety, depression, or PTSD. While ESAs do not have official training like service animals, they are prescribed as a part of treatment for their handler’s disability or disorder.

Can an ESA Fly in the Cabin?

Under the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), airlines are required to allow passengers with disabilities to fly with their ESAs in the cabin free of charge. However, there are a few stipulations:

1. You must have an ESA letter from your licensed mental health professional stating you have a disability and your ESA aids your condition.
2. The ESA must be a dog, cat, or small animal in a carrier and fit on your lap or at your feet.
3. You must notify the airline of your ESA at least 48 hours before your flight.

Most major airlines will accept ESAs in the cabin as long as you follow these guidelines. From my experience working with ESA owners, advanced notice helps airlines plan seating arrangements.

Will My ESA Cause Problems?

While airlines accommodate ESAs, they also have safety concerns. However, if properly trained and controlled by its owner, an ESA should not pose disturbances. Here are a few tips to ensure smooth sailing:

• Make sure your dog is well-socialized and accustomed to public spaces. Noise and close quarters can be stressful for pets.
• Have your ESA leashed or properly contained at all times in airports and on flights. This prevents crowding other passengers.
• Consider training your ESA basic commands like “sit,” “stay,” and “quiet” for flights. Well-behaved pets make others more comfortable.

With preparation, most pets can adapt to travel. But it’s fair for airlines to ask problematic animals to be left behind for the comfort of all. Communication is key – a cooperative attitude can go far with airline staff.

What if My ESA Acts Up?

Basically, if your ESA menaces passengers or crew, the airline reserves the right to require it be put in the cargo hold, even with a letter. However, this is typically a last resort. Here’s one approach I’ve seen work well:

1. If your ESA becomes restless, alert a flight attendant right away. Often just separating it from others is enough with some soothing words.
2. If its behavior persists, offer to move to vacant seating farther back. Isolation with its owner usually calms pets down faster.
3. Should issues still occur, request to speak to the captain privately. Explain the situation humbly and work out a solution together respectfully.

Communication and cooperation go a long way. And remember, you are responsible for your ESA’s conduct. So in extreme cases, rerouting to cargo may be necessary for safety. But it rarely comes to that with good faith on both sides.

What About Emotional Support Animals in Training?

As any ESA handler knows, training a psychiatric service dog takes enormous commitment and time. Airlines seem to differ here. While fully trained and documented ESAs will absolutely qualify, airlines remain skeptical of animals in training programs. And they have some rationale:

• Pets learning public access skills may not reliably respond in distracting new environments like planes.
• Incomplete training puts both animal and human welfare at risk if behaviors escalate.
• Airlines lack verification of a trainee’s progress and conformance to ESA standards.

So if you hope to bring an ESA trainee, contact carriers early regarding special permissions. Or consider red-eyes with fewer passengers where strange situations arise less. The key is demonstrating reasonable control at every stage as those pups mature into psychiatric superstars!

What Are Some Experiences of Flying with an ESA?

I’ve accompanied several clients flying with trained ESAs and it often goes off without a hitch. People are usually understanding once they realize the pet‘s purpose. Here’s a lovely story:

My friend Jenna has PTSD from a past tragedy. Her soft-coated Wheaten Terrier Emma is prescribed as part of her treatment plan. On their flight, Emma nestled under Jenna’s seat, waiting calmly. The man beside them struck up a conversation and Emma charmed him with her gentleness. By the end, he told Jenna he was thankful for Emma’s company too – she helped ease his own flying fears! Experiences like this remind us of the healing power between humans and animals.

Should You Fly with Your ESA?

In summary, if properly prepared, an emotional support pet can certainly fly in the aircraft cabin hassle-free. Much depends on their disposition, your attentiveness as owner, and a bit of willingness to communicate from airlines. While laws don’t always equal compassion, many carriers understand life-changing roles that psychiatric service dogs play. With teamwork, the skies are usually open for handlers and their canine co-pilots! Consider whether your furry friend and situation is up for the adventure. But with care and respect for others, travelling with your ESA is absolutely possible and may prove a great comfort in itself.

I hope this extensive overview answered all your questions about flying with an emotional support dog! Please let me know if any part needs further explanation. Travel safely with your furry companion.

Can an Emotional Support Animal Fly?

Animal Type	Requirements	Notes
Dog	Letter from mental health professional, trained to behave in public	Must fit in carrier under seat or on owner’s lap
Cat	Same as dog	Must remain in carrier for entire flight
Rabbit	Same as dog and cat	Small cages/carriers only permitted
Bird	Same as dog, cat, rabbit	Must remain caged for entire flight
Hedgehog	Same as other pets	Kept in carrier like other small pets
snake	Special permission usually not allowed	Considered exotic pet by airlines

FAQ

1. Can I bring my emotional support dog on an airplane?

   Most major airlines in the US will allow you to bring your emotional support dog with you in the cabin for free as long as you provide documentation from a licensed mental health professional about your need for the animal. However, some airlines have additional requirements like notifying them in advance so check each airline’s policies individually.

   

2. What documentation do I need for my emotional support animal?

   At minimum, you will need a letter from your mental health professional such as a doctor, psychiatrist, or therapist. The letter should state that you have a diagnosed mental health condition and that your ESA provides emotional support to alleviate symptoms of that condition. It should also confirm that you are under their care as their patient. Airlines may also require additional forms to be filled out.

3. Are emotional support animals treated the same as service dogs?

   No, emotional support animals have different rights than service animals. Service dogs are specially trained to perform specific tasks to assist those with disabilities, while emotional support animals provide comfort and companionship to alleviate symptoms but are not required to have any special training. ESAs have rights to fly with you on airplanes and live with you in no-pet housing under the Fair Housing Act and Air Carrier Access Act, but they do not have the same access rights as service animals in public places.

4. What are the rules for emotional support animals on planes?

   Some key rules for ESAs on flights include: the animal must remain at your feet or on your lap, they cannot block aisles or emergency exits, you may be required to check-in at the airport early before boarding, and the animal must be well-behaved and not disruptive to other passengers. If your animal acts aggressively or is disruptive, it may be refused from boarding or required to travel in cargo instead of the cabin.

5. Do apartments have to allow emotional support animals?

   Under the Fair Housing Act, landlords have to make reasonable accommodations such as allowing tenants’ emotional support animals in housing where pets usually aren’t permitted. However, they can deny requests if it causes an undue financial or administrative burden or if the animal poses a direct threat to others. The tenant will need proper documentation from a mental health professional to get an approved accommodation request for an emotional support animal in no-pet housing.

6. How do I train my emotional support animal?

   Unlike service animals, emotional support animals do not require any formal training. However, it’s still a good idea to do basic obedience training so your pet is well-behaved and knows basic commands to ensure safety and make others more comfortable when taking them out in public spaces. Training should focus on responding properly to cues, avoiding jumping up or barking excessively, being gentle with strangers, and relieving itself appropriately. Proper handling in public is important so your animal doesn’t disrupt others.

   

7. Is an ESA letter easy to get online?

   While you can pay for ESA letters from online sites, this approach is frowned upon by many mental health professionals and airlines may scrutinize letters from certain shady online businesses. Such letters also potentially enable fraud and negatively impact those with true disabilities relaying on service animals. It’s better to establish an ongoing relationship with a licensed mental health provider in your state who can properly evaluate your need for mental health support from an ESA as part of your treatment plan.