Desperate to get Family Dog to Virgin Islands

[sailcruiser]

Please don't encourage 'fake' service animals.
1 It is a crime in most states.
2 it causes legitimate teams no end of grief when Joe Business owner is still ticked off at the last 'service animal' that hiked its' leg on his goods.
3 Simply put it is unethical and unfair to the people who rely on the dog for safety and well being. (And by safety I mean not wandering into a busy street NOT being guarded by the dog which is specifically prohibited in legislation.)

We have become a me me me society no matter the consequences to others. This is one of many examples. It is sad it is cool to be disabled so Fido can accompany me.

Sorry big sore spot here.
SC

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by sailcruiser

Please don't encourage 'fake' service animals.
1 It is a crime in most states.
2 it causes legitimate teams no end of grief when Joe Business owner is still ticked off at the last 'service animal' that hiked its' leg on his goods.
3 Simply put it is unethical and unfair to the people who rely on the dog for safety and well being. (And by safety I mean not wandering into a busy street NOT being guarded by the dog which is specifically prohibited in legislation.)

We have become a me me me society no matter the consequences to others. This is one of many examples. It is sad it is cool to be disabled so Fido can accompany me.

Sorry big sore spot here.
SC

Just for the record -- I did not suggest FAKE. I meant that they really make their dog a therapy dog.

We need more and I thought it would solve their prolem, but it won't.

[sailcruiser]

Now on topic to get your family dog to you. Look for any cargo company that has both pressurized AND climate controlled cargo area.

Some airlines may offer the area a service dog would sit but as far as I know that is against DOT regulations. I have never encountered that.

One link I tripped over was this:
http://airpropel.com/pet-propel/

No affiliation or experience.

This link has a lot of good info too:
http://www.vimovingcenter.com/talk/r...?4,62243,62849

In that link someone suggested Continental as having pressurized and climate controlled cargo area as well as Four Star Air Cargo.

Either way in the summer months being on the Tarmac is also a risk. I've never had fast bag handling in the Caribbean.
SC

[sailcruiser]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

Just for the record -- I did not suggest FAKE. I meant that they really make their dog a therapy dog.

We need more and I thought it would solve their prolem, but it won't.

I understand that you confused therapy and service animals and admitted that. I have met therapy dog handlers that didn't understand the difference. It is a common confusion.

But certifying a therapy dog and sticking a service dog jacket on it doesn't make it a service dog. What many people don't realize is the dog has zero rights without accompanying the disabled handler. It is the disabled person's rights the dog travels under much like a disabled placard on a car. Just because it is there doesn't give anyone driving the car the right to park in a disabled space. The person must be in the car that it was issued to.

This is a pet peeve that has no place on a sailing forum I just didn't want the OP to consider this a viable idea.
SC

[FLLCatsailor]

We bought our dog a service animal vest and badge... She provides emotional support for my girlfriend while traveling...

[Dsanduril]

Way outside the realm of OP's question.

In the US the ADA specifically excludes emotional support animals:

Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.

This definition does not affect or limit the broader definition of “assistance animal” under the Fair Housing Act or the broader definition of “service animal” under the Air Carrier Access Act.

Revised ADA Requirements: Service Animals

The ACAA does allow emotional support animals on planes per the following:

If a passenger seeks to travel with an animal that is used as an emotional support or psychiatric service animal, you are not required to accept the animal for transportation in the cabin unless the passenger provides you current documentation (i.e., no older than one year from the date of the passengers scheduled initial flight) on the letterhead of a licensed mental health professional including a medical doctor specifically treating the passenger’s mental or emotional disability (e.g., psychiatrist, psychologist, licensed clinical social worker) stating the following:

(1) The passenger has a mental or emotional disability recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition (DSM IV);

(2) The passenger needs the emotional support or psychiatric service animal as an accommodation for air travel and/or for activity at the passenger’s destination;

(3) The individual providing the assessment is a licensed mental health professional, and the passenger is under his or her professional care; and

(4) The date and type of the mental health professional’s license and the state or other jurisdiction in which it was issued.

eCFR — Code of Federal Regulations

And here's the kicker - the airport only has to comply with ADA, so while an airline may be willing to accept your "service" dog in the cabin, the airport doesn't have to let it past the curb unless it meets the definition under ADA, which does not include emotional support animals.

[FLLCatsailor]

The American With Disabilities act also states that if asked the purpose of the service animal you do t have to declare your disability...

[Dulcesuenos]

Originally Posted by angelfish2

Respectfully, this may be incorrect. All animals riding in the cabin have to be able to fit under your seat (except for a service animal). A big dog would not be able to do that. I know this because we traveled everywhere with our kitty, by air.

I fly every week, for a living, I have been on planes that had customers who were traveling to and from dog shows, they had their dogs on the seats next to them. Some of these were very large dogs, as in not going to fit under the seat while in one piece .
So depends on the airline.

Our cat is a therapy cat, I come home stressed out, he attacks me, I forget all about being stressed out trying to get him off of me.

Probably not alot of people heading that direction on slow boats right now with Hurricane season...
Cant you wait until after September or whenever the embargo is up?

[Dsanduril]

Originally Posted by FLLCatsailor

The American With Disabilities act also states that if asked the purpose of the service animal you do t have to declare your disability...

No, but you do have to declare what training the dog (note, the ADA recognizes only dogs as service animals) has had:

When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, only limited inquiries are allowed. Staff may ask two questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform. Staff cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog, or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task.

Since emotional support is not a disability under the ADA you would have to lie about the answer to both allowed questions in order to pass off an emotional support animal as an ADA qualified service dog (unless your emotional support animal has coincidentally been trained as a service dog for the blind).