Delta bans pit bulls as ‘emotional support’ animals, citing attacks
Several airlines have tightened rules after incidents involving dogs and a surge of passengers flying with cats, dogs, turkeys and other creatures
Kathryn Hurley, a director at a Los Angeles dog rescue service, has been flying for years with her pit bull dog, Jax, an emotional support animal that has been trained to behave on a flight.
She learned the hard way that Delta Air Lines has new restrictions on travelling with animals: Hurley had to cancel her trip to Detroit scheduled for next month because Delta would not let Jax on the plane.
The showdown was the result of a new policy by the Atlanta-based carrier that limits passengers to one emotional support animal per flight and bans all “pit bull type dogs” either as service animals or emotional support animals.
Service animals are trained to help passengers with physical disabilities, such as blindness; emotional support animals are supposed to help alleviate any anxiety and stress suffered by people with mental conditions.
Delta is not alone in adjusting its animal policies. Several major airlines have adopted new restrictions for passengers flying with animals following a series of incidents involving dogs on planes and a surge of passengers flying with dogs, cats, turkeys and other creatures.