Emotional Support Squirrel Gets Woman Booted From Orlando Flight

[amberpi]

OMFG. I'd die if someone showed up with a squirrel in the seat next to me. Seriously, if you can't fly without your squirrel, maybe you shouldn't be flying.

The whole emotional support thing is out of control. I totally get that there are legitimate uses of these animals, but all these ridiculous ones undermine those who truly need them. It's got to be something more than a piece of paper you buy off the internet to get an ESA. And, SOME training other than "Fifi helps me." Properly trained service animals are no problem on a plane. All these "pets" disguised as ESA are.

ETA: For fun, I filled out one of these online forms. I literally checked every box that said "got no problems", except a line that said "I was grouchy in the last week" (and then I checked the box that said "a few times" as to frequency). Then, I filled in the box that said "why do you want this ESA certification" and I said "Because I want my dog to travel on the plane with me without paying a fee." And, guess what? I QUALIFIED for an ESA. Nice, eh? Very thorough process. The letter would be on the way to me within 48 hours...faster if I paid a larger fee. Woohoo!!!!

You won the internet today.

 

[mrodgers]

What if I am my pet's emotional support human?

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

I'm such a chump. I pay for my well-behaved small dog to fly under my seat in a carrier. Sure wish I had a high enough IQ to realize he could roam the cabin, pooping at will and flying for free.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Apparently in Florida you can have a squirrel as an emotional support animal.

But I can't have a hedgehog as a regular old pet in Pennsylvania! It's tyranny! Fascism, I tell ya!

I want an ouchmouse!

 

[Wood Nymph]

With God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly. I am so old I saw the episode when it originally aired, and it’s still one of the funniest things I have seen.

Wild turkeys can fly. Domestic turkeys can’t fly.

 

[VandVsmama]

I've seen plenty of turkeys on flights. They just don't have feathers. haha

 

[Marchand63]

X

Wild turkeys can fly. Domestic turkeys can’t fly.

The only domestic turkieys I know are cooked by the pound. They do supply me emotional support on Christmas & thanksgiving.

 

[georgina]

Saw an interview with the woman today. She is seriously delusional. Going to get a lawyer and sue Frontier for millions. She apparently had no trouble getting the squirrel through security.

 

[anniemae]

Where does one purchase a squirrel? Do pet stores sell them or do you have to you outside and catch one?

 

[meggiebeth]

In the U.K. this whole concept seems very strange to us! We have service animals, but even those are accredited and have certification to show it. From what I’ve read about service animals and emotional support animals in the US, businesses are not even allowed to ask for proof! Our wonderful service animals have all the rights they need to assist their owners, but as of now, the legal allowances for emotional support animals do not exist. Frankly, I’d be mortified if someone tried to bring a wild squirrel, or a snake, on a plane! In the case of wild squirrels, surely the airline can’t be certain that they aren’t carrying diseases? (Whick could easily spread on a plane). Here, we can’t even bring emotional support dogs or cats on a plane from what I’ve been told.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

You think?

I found some video of the woman as she was taken off in a wheelchair. Apparently she wasn't very popular with the other passengers and she flipped them off as they were applauding her being removed. I won't link it for obvious reasons.

After seeing that video, I don't think the squirrel was for emotional support. It was for in-flight lunch.

 

[BadPinkTink]

In the U.K. this whole concept seems very strange to us! We have service animals, but even those are accredited and have certification to show it. From what I’ve read about service animals and emotional support animals in the US, businesses are not even allowed to ask for proof! Our wonderful service animals have all the rights they need to assist their owners, but as of now, the legal allowances for emotional support animals do not exist. Frankly, I’d be mortified if someone tried to bring a wild squirrel, or a snake, on a plane! In the case of wild squirrels, surely the airline can’t be certain that they aren’t carrying diseases? (Whick could easily spread on a plane). Here, we can’t even bring emotional support dogs or cats on a plane from what I’ve been told.

Thank You

Im from Ireland and like you this whole concept of support animals on planes is just baffling to me. In June 2018 I took a Southwest flight from San Francisco to LAX. The amount of animals in the departure gate area was just so so strange to me. Some were being walked around the departure gates area, some were in carry bags but it was hard to get my head around the fact of all these animals being allowed as carry on. In nearly 20 years of travel all over Europe and living in multiple European cities I have NEVER seen animals being allowed on planes as carry on!

 

[jerseygal]

C'mon guys ya can't have emotional support squirrels on the plane, not with all the nut allergies out there!!!! You know we've had those threads here on the DIS!!!!

Ridiculous, this ESA stuff has gotten way of control!

 

[soccerdad72]

In the U.K. this whole concept seems very strange to us! We have service animals, but even those are accredited and have certification to show it. From what I’ve read about service animals and emotional support animals in the US, businesses are not even allowed to ask for proof! Our wonderful service animals have all the rights they need to assist their owners, but as of now, the legal allowances for emotional support animals do not exist. Frankly, I’d be mortified if someone tried to bring a wild squirrel, or a snake, on a plane! In the case of wild squirrels, surely the airline can’t be certain that they aren’t carrying diseases? (Whick could easily spread on a plane). Here, we can’t even bring emotional support dogs or cats on a plane from what I’ve been told.

Here in the US, the whole concept is strange to 99.9% of us.

 

[china mom]

Thank You

Im from Ireland and like you this whole concept of support animals on planes is just baffling to me. In June 2018 I took a Southwest flight from San Francisco to LAX. The amount of animals in the departure gate area was just so so strange to me. Some were being walked around the departure gates area, some were in carry bags but it was hard to get my head around the fact of all these animals being allowed as carry on. In nearly 20 years of travel all over Europe and living in multiple European cities I have NEVER seen animals being allowed on planes as carry on!

Some of these animals may be legitimate service or emotional support animals (skeptical but possible), some are fake ESA'a to get out of the pet fee. But, many are probably just pets where the owners have paid the pet fee to have them on the plane. Southwest does not allow the transport of pets in the cargo hold so cats and dogs must be small enough to fit in an under the seat carrier.

Animals are supposed to remain in their carriers in the airport and while in flight (I believe ESA's can be held on lap in flight)

 

[petlvr1064]

This is a tough one legally an esa can be basically anything u want it to be. And also legally an airline has to let it in the cabin for free. The only other right an esa gets is it has to be allowed in no pet houseing and u can't be charged a pet deposit or pet rent. I know this because I have an esa. Shaddow is my esa cat. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me. On the other hand I don't know how in the world a squril can be an esa.

 

[BrianL]

In the U.K. this whole concept seems very strange to us! We have service animals, but even those are accredited and have certification to show it. From what I’ve read about service animals and emotional support animals in the US, businesses are not even allowed to ask for proof! Our wonderful service animals have all the rights they need to assist their owners, but as of now, the legal allowances for emotional support animals do not exist. Frankly, I’d be mortified if someone tried to bring a wild squirrel, or a snake, on a plane! In the case of wild squirrels, surely the airline can’t be certain that they aren’t carrying diseases? (Whick could easily spread on a plane). Here, we can’t even bring emotional support dogs or cats on a plane from what I’ve been told.

It's actually a little complicated. Most businesses are governed by the Americans with Disabilities Act - ADA. They must allow service animals, but those are strictly defined, I believe as only dogs or actually miniature horses. A business owner cannot ask for "proof" but can only ask what task the animal is trained to perform. If the animal is being disruptive, a business can still ask the owner to remove them. Emotional Support Animals are not covered by this at all.

With airlines, they fall under FAA regulations which have broader standards (also adhering to ADA standards - though I don't think a miniature horse is going to ride in the cabin of an airplane). The FAA policies do allow for Emotional Support Animals, probably because flying is seen as stressful to some people. Other businesses, like Disney and such, also allow Emotional Support animals, but they are not required by law to do so (though state laws may vary). I am not sure Disney limits to certain kinds of animals, but it seems airlines can, as seen in stories like this. If rodents weren't allowed before, calling one an ESA won't give them a pass. The idea was that having a small dog or cat in one's lap can ease the fear of flying, but we've strayed so far from that at this point.

 

[cabanafrau]

I'm such a chump. I pay for my well-behaved small dog to fly under my seat in a carrier. Sure wish I had a high enough IQ to realize he could roam the cabin, pooping at will and flying for free.

Apparently you can carry on whatever you like in a pet carrier. It's too much shampoo or a bottle of Fiji water that are the real menace on flights apparently.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

I honestly have to question the intelligence of a therapist that suggested and trained an emotional support squirrel for her. The point of the emotional support animal is to help patients that need them cope with anxieties in the world when they venture out. A squirrel is not going to be accepted most places and is likely to cause situations that increase anxiety and embarassment, thus creating more troubles for the patient.

And if it wasn't a prescribed and trained therapy animal then it is just a pet and is a bit if a insult to those whose anxieties are so severe that they require an emotional support animal. I liken that to a person claiming to need a DAS pass when they really have no diagnoses and just don't want to stand in line.

 

[NHdisneylover]

This is a tough one legally an esa can be basically anything u want it to be. And also legally an airline has to let it in the cabin for free. The only other right an esa gets is it has to be allowed in no pet houseing and u can't be charged a pet deposit or pet rent. I know this because I have an esa. Shaddow is my esa cat. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me. On the other hand I don't know how in the world a squril can be an esa.

Didn't somosom already post the link stating that airlines are not required to allow rodents? Thus, legally, no the airline is not required to allow an emotional support squirrel