A growing number of people are finding it helpful to have some type of support animal (often referred to as emotional support animal), to help them deal with whatever physical or mental issues they have. They can help an individual or a family.

There is a difference between a service animal and a support animal. Many of us are used to service animals, like seeing-eye dogs. Service animals are specifically trained to work with or help people with specific disabilities. Service animals help people suffering from seizures, PTSD, and physical disabilities (confined to a wheelchair or other physical limitations). The service animal is trained to perform certain tasks to help their owner.

A support animal (generally a dog or cat, but can be other types of animals) provide more of a therapeutic type of benefit. A support animal is not trained for any specific task or tasks. Support animals provide more of an emotional support or comfort to people with psychiatric disabilities and mental impairments.

Not long ago on the local news, a family had a yellow Labrador that was an emotional support animal for their young daughter. The girl was autistic and the dog helped her cope with her world and other people. Having the support dog helped her communicate with her family and not freak out or close herself in her own mental world. Then someone stole the dog and the girl was frantic.

People like that young girl rely on their support animals as much as others rely on their service dogs, but since they are not specially trained like service animals, support animals do not have the same legal protection or access to facilities that service animals do and thus cause for a growing problem.

What does a person do when they travel with a support animal? Many expect to be able to take their support animal with them, but restaurants, hotels, buses, trains and planes do not legally have to allow access to support animals, unless there is proper documentation.

Sadly, a growing number of people have been trying to travel on planes with their pets by declaring them to be support animals. The problem has grown so serious that Delta Airlines is instituting a new policy for passengers with support animals.

Effective March 1:

“Passengers who wish to take their support animal on board a Delta Air Lines plane will have to show proof of health and vaccinations 48 hours in advance, as well as other requirements, the airline said Friday.”

“Travelers with a psychiatric service or support animal will have to have a signed document ‘confirming that their animal can behave to prevent untrained, sometimes aggressive household pets from traveling without a kennel in the cabin,’ Delta said.”

Why the need for the policy?

Delta says that since 2016, the number of animal incidents on planes have increased by 84%. By incidents, they mean barking, growling, biting, urination and defecation of alleged support animals. The problem isn’t just dogs. Delta reports that people have claimed a wide variety in types of alleged support animals which include sugar gliders, turkeys, snakes, spiders and many more.

I’m an animal lover and had dogs, a cat, snakes and parakeets as pets over the years, and yes, they all meant a lot to me, but whenever I traveled, I never abused the rules because of my pets, but others have abused the rules and are now making it harder for people with genuine support animals to travel.

So, if you plan on traveling and you do have genuine support animal, make sure you get the all of the proper documentation. If you travel with a pet that’s not a support animal, please find out what the requirements are and abide by them.