The passengers faking health conditions so pets can fly in cabin with them
From a ferret in a diaper to a turkey to dogs which bite other passengers or pee in the aisle, travellers and flight attendants report big rise in ‘emotional support animal’ fraud, to the detriment of disabled fliers with legitimate need
While walking to his gate in an airport, a frequent Delta Air Lines flier snaps three pictures of passengers with animal companions meant for people with disabilities.
One woman, who appears to be in her late 20s, sits at an airport cafe table. She wraps her right arm around her brown dachshund, which sports a pink vest to show it is an “emotional support animal” (ESA for short).
A second woman, perhaps in her 40s, walks towards the gate in a pink-collared shirt and even brighter pink sneakers. Her Pomeranian doesn’t have any sort of vest indicating it is a service dog (the term used to cover guide dogs for the blind or hearing-impaired, support dogs for people with mental illness, diabetes or limited mobility).
The third woman sits in a seat at the gate, hands folded across her belly and a black and white dog lying across her lap.
Eric Goldmann of Atlanta, in the US state of Georgia, tries to find out if they are faking a disability to travel without paying a pet fee.
