While airlines may allow passengers to bring their support dogs with them, not all airlines have the same rules regarding which types of dogs are allowed. Sometimes these dogs bite people and one of the parties needs to hire a dog bite lawyer in san diego to recover. Some airlines are beginning to make it more difficult for passengers to bring in their support dogs. A recent Associated Press news article reports that Delta Airlines no longer permits “pit bull type” dogs to accompany passengers as support dogs.
The ban was issued in June 2018, as an additional amendment of the airline for their current policy regarding support dogs traveling in passenger areas of their commercial aircraft. Another rule change also mandates that travelers as a group are limited to a single support dog per flight. The new amendments to the Delta Airlines policy take effect on July 10, 2018.
The Reason for the Policy Changes Included Dog Bite Injuries
According to Delta Airlines, the new changes in their policy covering dogs that offer emotional support are due to increasing concerns over safety. These concerns have grown in recent months especially after several employees of the airline have reportedly been bitten by support dogs. Many of these dangerous dogs are considered among the pit bull breeds.
The new policy now includes these pit bull type dogs as the same as the other animals that are also prohibited from riding among passengers in their aircraft. These include various types of reptiles, along with spiders and even goats.
Delta Airlines is not the only carrier that has enacted new and more stringent policies regarding support dogs. In the first week of June 2018, JetBlue has also added new requirements that may make it more difficult for passengers to have their support dogs accompany them on the flights.
These new rules include a requirement for passengers to submit forms from a veterinarian that vouches for a support dog’s fitness to travel. These forms must also attest that the dogs have all been vaccinated properly.
Furthermore, customers must inform the airline 48 hours in advance that they mean to join the flight with a support dog accompany them. The passengers must also agree to accept full responsibility and liability if their support dog hurts another person or damages property during the flight.
Concerns about Support Dogs
The use of support dogs for flights has become quite popular, especially since the airlines waived the fees for their inclusion in passenger flights. According to United Airlines, up to 76,000 of these support dogs were part of the UA flights in 2017. This is a 77% increase from the year before.
The main concern that some people have over support dogs is over their lack of special training. Support dogs do not require any special training to be considered as such, unlike other type of service animals such as guide dogs. Because of this lack of training and larger number of support digs included in flights, the incidents that involve animal attacks in Delta Airlines have risen by 86% since 2016.
If you have been injured by another passenger’s support dog during a flight, you should consider consulting with a personal injury lawyer with extensive experience over such cases. A lawsuit may be filed on your behalf so that the owner as well as the airline may be held accountable for your injuries.