Emotional Support Animals

I would like to start this article by admitting that I am an anxiety sufferer, and flying stresses me out. I get pretty anxious before the flight, and after the flight. And well … the time in the sky isn’t good for me either. I often say, “I love to travel, but I hate traveling.” So I understand people’s need to find any comfort from my anxiety, even if that takes the form of an emotional support animal.

Personally, I have a dog and a cat, and both tend to give me more stress than comfort. But obviously that is not the case for everyone, which brings me to the real meat of this piece: The federal government is enacting a new rule restricting the types of service animals allowed on commercial airline flights.

To be clear, there’s a distinction between service animals and emotional support animals. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines service animals as “a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability” — things like opening doors, retrieving dropped items, and issuing reminders to take medication (yes, really!). Emotional support animals provide comfort just by being there, but they aren’t classified as service animals. However, some state and local governments do allow emotional support animals in public places. And that brings us to flights.

The issue here is that airlines feel that some people, maybe even a lot of people, are taking advantage of the pretty-loose laws about emotional support animals as a way to get around paying additional fees to travel with their pets. And when I say “pets,” it’s important to point out that we are getting into some exotic animals. Back in 2018, a woman was barred from bringing an “emotional support” peacock on board a United Airlines flight. This situation actually made international news, and according to the BBC the only reason she was prevented from bringing the bird on the plane was because “it did not meet guidelines due to its weight and size.” However, according to NPR, in 2016 a “comfort turkey” was actually allowed to fly on Delta Airlines.

If I sat next to someone holding an emotional support turkey, I would have to assume the person holding the turkey would have less anxiety. I, however, would feel much much more anxiety, particularly considering I live in a small rural Oregon town that is known for having wild turkeys that wander the streets, and have a nasty habit of chasing kids and pecking at their shins. But here is another issue with exotic emotional support animals on planes. Many of them are untrained, and can become obnoxious, or even dangerous, to other passengers and crew members. Paul Hartshorn, Jr., a flight attendant for American Airlines and spokesperson for the flight attendants’ union there told NPR that, “For years, our members have been dealing with untrained, sometimes wild animals in the aircraft cabin … we’ve seen everything from pigs, to monkeys, to hamsters. You name it, we’ve seen it. This has made many passengers incredibly uncomfortable. It’s the incessant barking, defecation in the cabin which happens more times than I care to tell you.” Hartshorn also mentioned in his interview that the menagerie of “comfort” animals packed with passengers inside a cramped metal tube can make a flight miserable for allergy sufferers, and he says some flight crew members and passengers have even been bitten by these untrained animals. The real issue here seems to be around a very loosely written law.  Originally, it allowed people with disabilities to have service animals free of charge, including emotional support and comfort animals. However, there really isn’t a definition or any requirements listing what, specifically, qualifies as an emotional support animal. Thus, the situations listed above. The new law going into effect in January 2021 will limit emotional support animals to “a dog, regardless of breed or type, that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.” The passenger will also need to provide the airline with documentation on the persons disability, and certification that the dog has been trained. The problem with this change, according to disability activists, is that it’s too restrictive. According to Curt Decker, executive director of the National Disability Rights Network, there are other animals — including cats, rabbits and even miniature horses — that may not have service animal training or perform specific tasks, “but may in fact lower the anxiety level of someone with an intellectual disability, autism or other kind of mental health issue where flying is very stressful and would be calmed by having a legitimate emotional support animal with them.”

I actually agree with him; limiting emotional support animals to only dogs really does seem too strict. And as so many situations like this often do, it’s coming down to money. If an anxiety sufferer wants to bring an emotional support animal on the plane with them, but that animal is not a specially trained dog, they will need to pay a pet fee that can run as high as $175.

My prediction here is that airlines will find a middle ground, so that those who legitimately need a comfort animal will be able to have one on a flight, while weeding out the people who just don’t want to pay a fee for flying with their turkey. But until then, be advised, the days of loose flight restrictions on emotional support animals are coming to an end. So if you’ve got upcoming travel plans with your emotional support emu, it’s best to just stay grounded.

Animals Help With Mental Health

Back in 2018, Helen Brooks at the University of Manchester conducted a review of studies examining the impact of keeping pets on people’s abilities to manage mental health conditions, and Katie Haylor spoke to her about it.

Helen – So I think as a pet owner myself, I can obviously appreciate the value that my dogs have in terms of my mental health. Getting me out, connecting with nature. But I was really surprised by the range and the depth of connection that people talked about with animals. And the range of different ways that they were helping people to manage their mental health conditions, in particular around how important pets were in terms of distracting them from symptoms. So things like hearing voices, feeling depressed.

We wanted to systematically look at the research that had been published, that looked at the role of companion animals for people with a diagnosed mental health problem. So we searched in a systematic way, all the databases, also unpublished literature. So we could bring this evidence together and really see what we knew about the topic.

Katie – I’m assuming that having a pet is a good idea if you’re managing a mental health condition, is that what you found?

Helen – It’s quite a complicated relationship. And I think that speaks to the mixed results that we found when we did this review. And there’s a number of factors which impact on the relationship between having a pet and mental health outcomes. So things like the type of pet, the number of pets that a person has, and interestingly how friendly the animal is perceived to be by others. So we managed to identify 17 studies from all across the world that had looked at this topic. And in 15 of those 17 articles, there were positive aspects of pet ownership for people with a diagnosed mental health condition. Nine out of the 17 studies also identified negative aspects and there was a number that identified no relationships between the two.

Katie – Does it depend on the type of mental health condition? Because if you’re really anxious, I guess you could be anxious about your pet’s welfare, but also a pet could have a calming effect.

Helen – The review didn’t look particularly at different types of mental health conditions. What was most important, I think, was whether the person had the capacity and capabilities to be able to manage and look after a pet in terms of feeding, grooming, exercising, cost as well. So where the person was able to successfully care for an animal, then they really felt strongly that they had a positive impact in terms of managing their mental health.

Katie – Does it break down by animal?

Helen – So no, generally speaking, the research tended to include pets as one whole category. Interestingly, what you can find is that for dog owners, that’s particularly important in terms of encouraging exercise. And there was a weak trend towards pets being important in terms of helping people manage the experience of being diagnosed with a health condition.

Katie – I guess with a dog, you have to walk a dog, right? So you have to get out and I can see how the necessity of physical exercise might be good for your mental health. But if you’ve got cats or an animal that generally doesn’t like to be walked, are you still getting a benefit?

Helen – Yeah, there was actually a lot of benefit. So in terms of emotional support, having a companion animal was really important. So just having someone around that was a consistent presence. That being available to you without having to ask for it was really important. And that was true of all different types of animals included in the review.

Katie – And we’re not just talking about fluffy things that might like to sit on your lap.

Helen – There was a real wide range of animals included in the papers that we looked at. Generally speaking, they were mostly cats and dogs, but there were some things like bearded dragons. And what was really important was that people were able to select an animal that really fitted with their lifestyle and their ability to manage with a pet.

Katie – What do you make of this then? Would it be too extreme to say pets should kind of, be on prescription, as it were?

Katie – What do you think people should take away from this?

Helen – Whilst taking the caveats and some inadequacies of the data into account, I think the review really showed how important pets were to people with a mental health problem. And I think the key thing for me was about making sure that people in health services understood and recognised this. Because we know how distressing it can be when people are separated from their pets, when they have to go into the hospital or when they’re acutely unwell. So I think it’s about making sure the importance of people’s relationships with their pets is really taken into account within health services.

Katie – It’s really interesting you mentioned that, although the bias is in favour of it being good for managing a mental health condition, there were some people who experienced negative consequences.

Helen – Yeah. So I think it’s really important to say that the people that we spoke to, the people that were included in the qualitative work that was in this review, were successfully managing owning a pet. And the people, I guess, who have recently given up a pet weren’t really included in the papers that we looked at. So even the ones that were successfully managing the work of owning a pet talked about negative aspects such as cost, the emotional burden of looking after an animal when you’re feeling unable to look after yourself in some cases, was difficult. There was also – which I wasn’t expecting – a real concern about a future loss of a pet. So often people rely very heavily on this relationship with their animal in terms of managing their mental health. And they were really concerned about what would happen in the future, should the pet die or be taken away from them. But we should also say that, when taken altogether, the negative aspects were outweighed by the positive aspects that people reported in these interviews.

Flying With Animals

The U.S. Department of Transportation is cracking down on passengers flying with animals.

No longer will emotional support animals be considered service animals. A service animal is defined only as “a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability.”

That means “emotional support” peacocks, pigs and horses will no longer be able to fly.

For Kelly Rosequist and many in the service dog community, the new restrictions come as a welcome change.

Rosequist has been working with her 6-year-old Golden Retriever, Arrow, for five years. He provides pulmonary support.

“He is trained to detect an asthma attack prior to it happening, alert me that it’s going to happen, and bring me my medication,” Rosequist said.

Arrow can also open the fridge on command to retrieve juice for Rosequist, who often deals with hypoglycemia. Rosequist flies with Arrow several times a year.

“It’s not easy is because of other people or other dogs,” she said.

While her dog is well trained, she almost always encounters problems with other people’s pets.

“There was an emotional support animal sitting across the aisle from us that barked at Arrow for the entire three-hour flight,” she said.

The distractions from un-trained pets don’t allow Arrow to focus on Rosequist’s needs.

“He’s been attacked by another service dog in an airport,” she said.

So, when she heard of the new restrictions, Rosequist was relieved. “We are excited that there are more laws and regulations to protect legitimate service dogs,” Jenny Castro-Conde said. She works with Rosequist at Dog Training Elite and has her own service dog, Duke. The new regulations, Castro-Conde said, will weed out those bringing fake emotional support animals who are untrained on flights.

Both women agree it will allow their dogs and other legitimate service dogs to do their jobs without distraction.

“It’s going to mean less incidents for our service dogs, less incidents for the pubic, less incidents in the airport,” Castro-Conde said. The new regulations will take effect in January. Airlines can now require passengers traveling with service dogs to provide service forms up to 48 hours before their flight. Dog Training Elite will be working with their clients to make sure they know the protocols before flying with their service dogs.

Therapy Dog Nugget

A 100-pound Rottweiler-Shepherd-Labrador cross had been spending his Saturday afternoons visiting seniors in long-term care at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital for the last three years until the pandemic put a stop to it in the spring.

But now Nugget is going virtual.

He and his human, Stuart Mah, have found a new way to have important connections with the folks inside after their in-person volunteer visits were put on hold.

“I think there’s a lot of value in terms of the interaction and being with somebody. A lot of folks here are very lonely. I think with Nugget, he basically engages them,” Mah says. “It’s a great distraction for them. It’s a great hour of time individually with each of the residents that want to see Nugget.”

Therapy Dog Helps Students

Boylan Catholic High School helps its students get through this difficult school year with its wellness program. Now, that program has a four-legged resource.

“I feel like anxieties are much greater right now and loss of motivation, especially with the whole thing around the pandemic,” said Allison Schmitt, Boylan Catholic High School Wellness Coordinator.

So, to help, students form small groups to talk about how they are coping with the school year and the pandemic. They also have a therapy dog named Olly to meet with students at school. Olly is still in training, but learning the ropes.

“I am really thankful for him,” said Boylan Junior, Bertha Ortiz. “He really helped me out when not really many of my friends could, because obviously they’re busy.”

Animal Services

Higher standards of service providers in the pet sector can be expected in the first half of next year, and dog rehoming and adoption processes will also be improved, said the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) on Friday (Dec 18).

In addition, the AVS has stepped up efforts to educate the public on how to take care of pets, said Minister of State for National Development Tan Kiat How at the launch of new educational activities and resources on animals.

Mr Tan said the AVS is reviewing licensing conditions for pet boarders and breeders, as well as looking into raising the professionalism of veterinarians, among other things.

It has been consulting closely with key stakeholders, such as animal welfare groups, pet businesses and veterinarians, and will announce more details when ready.

In October, a multi-stakeholder Rehoming and Adoption Work Group (RAWG) was formed to improve dog rehoming and adoption processes, said Mr Tan.

The work group has been working on guiding principles for dog rehabilitation and training, as well as measures to enhance the competency and standards of dog trainers.

The public can provide feedback on the new community standards and guidelines on rehoming and adoption next year.

The announcements follow a holistic pet sector review, which led to the implementation of one-time licensing for sterilised pet dogs in September to make it more convenient for owners to trace them.

In terms of public outreach, the AVS – a cluster under the National Parks Board (NParks) – has rolled out a range of educational programmes and resources.

From January, pre-schoolers can interact with small mammals such as rabbits and hamsters and learn about them for free at the new Animal Classroom at Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden.

Under adult supervision, children will be allowed to touch these animals, depending on their temperament, said Dr Chang Siow Foong, group director of professional and scientific services at the AVS.

Pre-schools can book this activity by e-mailing the AVS at least one month in advance.

It is among the new initiatives to encourage responsible pet ownership from a young age.

Other activities include learning trips for secondary and tertiary students to the AVS’ animal centres like the Sembawang Animal Quarantine Station.

The AVS has also worked with the Ministry of Education and the Early Childhood Development Agency to integrate lessons on animals into school curriculum and syllabus. For example, books on pet care will be distributed to all 1,700 pre-school centres by March.

Other members of the public can access free online resources on animals.

The AVS is increasing the frequency of webinars on animal health, welfare and behaviour, starting with one on Saturday on what factors to consider before getting a pet.

The webinars, featuring AVS vets as well as professionals in the pet industry, will be held every fourth Saturday of the month.

Videos about basic care for popular pets will also be rolled out next year.

The AVS is also increasing volunteering opportunities for individuals and companies.

One pilot scheme on animal-assisted intervention involves pairing animals with individuals to improve their psychological and physiological welfare. Pilot sessions took place in November between cats and young people from an outreach programme by Fei Yue Community Services.

Individuals and corporations who wish to contribute to these programmes and resources can contact NParks’ registered charity, Garden City Fund, or through online platform Giving.sg.

Commending the initiatives, Mr Tan said: “Being a pet owner comes with many responsibilities, not just to our pets but also to our neighbours and the wider community. Hence, it is important that we equip ourselves with the knowledge on how to take care of our pets, so that we create a positive environment for everyone.”

Adoptions For The Holidays

Does your house feel just a little too quiet this holiday season? How about adopting a dog named Marley? Or a cat named Ollie? There’s even a cat named Brad Pitt and a dog named Ichabod.

In fact, the Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley (ASCMV) has many dogs, cats, puppies and kittens you can adopt at Christmas or any time of the year.

“A person interested in adopting an animal must find the animal on our website (www.ASCMV.org) and secure the animal number,” Thacker said. “The potential adopter then calls the Center at 575-382-0018 and requests an adoption appointment. ASCMV staff will ask for the animal number. When the number is provided, they will look the animal up in our shelter software to see if there are any issues with the animal that need to be reported to the caller. If nothing, an appointment will be made. You come at the appointed time and meet the animal. You can request up to two animals per appointment. If one (or both) animals make a connection with you, you proceed with the adoption paperwork in the lobby.

If the animal is sterilized, then nothing else needs to be done, and the adoption is finalized. If the animal is not sterilized, the potential adopter becomes a foster to-adopt. The animal is in your care and your responsibility, but still is property of the ASCMV.

“You sign a contract saying you will bring the animal back when requested by the center. After sterilization, the animal belongs to you,” Thacker said.

The cost is $25, which includes vaccinations, sterilization and a microchip.

ASCMV needs donations of kennels or crates, dog sweaters, blankets (without filling, no sleeping bags), collars and leashes and towels.

Assistance Dog Retires

Assistance dog Yazmin, who belongs to a medical secretary at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn, is retiring at the age of 11 following nine years of service.

Yazmin will enjoy her retirement at home with Jill Southgate’s husband, who is also retired, while Mrs Southgate welcomes a new assistance dog in the New Year.

Mrs Southgate has worked at QEH since 1981 and said Yazmin had “made such a difference” to her life, giving her confidence and safety over the years, and that they had a special relationship.

Mrs Southgate, who is blind, initially worked with an electronic typewriter but now uses a computer with a voice synthesiser called JAWS, provided by the NHS to carry out her work.

Mrs Southgate is an advocate for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and gives regular talks in schools and in the local community. She has also worked closely with the hospital trust to raise awareness and empower staff to take action and work inclusively with colleagues and patients assisted by guide dogs.

Training for guide dogs usually takes around 14 months, during which time they learn the basics, which include walking, recall and navigating public spaces and transport. They then take a further three months at an advanced training centre before finding a suitable match built on the lifestyle and mobility needs of the owner. A five-week programme then ensures a match is right.

Mrs Southgate said: “It can take around six months to build complete trust with a new assistance dog.” The usual retirement age for assistance dogs is 10, but with training restricted by COVID-19, Mrs Southgate won’t be matched with her new dog until February. Yazmin has loyally continued her duty into her eleventh year and after her retirement in December, Mrs Southgate will use a white cane to aid her mobility until she is matched with her new dog.

PTSD Service Dogs

A PTSD service dog that earned nationwide attention has died, according to the pet’s owner. Army veteran Justin Tucker says Roxy, his beloved pit bull, was euthanized Friday morning after being diagnosed with cancer back in August.

“Roxy was my entire world,” Tucker said on Friday.

“From leaving active duty Army and becoming a civilian, she helped with my transition,” Tucker said. “She helped me so much with my PTSD issues, better than any pharmaceutical could ever could. She was a true hero and breed ambassador. She was everything that the bully breeds could be, with a little bit of dedication to training.”

Roxy had a huge social media following, and Tucker took to her Instagram page @roxytheptsdservicedog Friday to share photos of his beloved girl and share a tribute to her.

“10-42 EOW End of Watch; Roxy crossed over the rainbow bridge at 10:20 this morning. She went out with honor and dignity. She will be forever remembered as a hero dog,” Tucker wrote.

“Just try to continue to support me and pray for me as much as you can cuz I’m already feeling a certain type of way,” he continued.

“Until Valhalla, Roxy the PTSD Service Dog.”

Roxy was a finalist in the American Humane Hero Dog Awards back in 2018.

“She’s literally touch the lives of thousands of people worldwide,” said Tucker. “I never would have thought my service dog from Haywood County, North Carolina, would make a big global impact as she has.”

Tucker frequently trained his prized dog in downtown Asheville, drawing a lot of attention from folks on the street.

“Cause most people see a pit bull in the news it’s a ferocious, aggressive animal,” he said in 2017. “But when they meet Roxy, they have to ask, ‘What kind of dog is that?'”

Roxy came into his life in February 2014, not long after an explosion in Iraq shattered Tucker’s life. The Army veteran said that experience left him with severe PTSD.

“A dark, downward spiral of depression,” he described. “It’s hard to speak of the issues and not be emotional about it.”

“My worst incident was a hand grenade explosion that blew up down onto my shoulder,” Tucker recalled during an interview with News 13 3 years ago. “The recurring nightmares and the intrusive thoughts; it plays a toll on your mind.”

Roxy gave him emotional support and much more. Tucker is devastated, but proud of her legacy.

“She will always be remembered on social media but through other ways as well,” he said. “Haywood Spay and Neuter has the Roxy Fund, which is dedicated to helping low-income veterans in Haywood County — to help assist with spay, neuter and microchipping (their pets).”

Helping Officers Deal With Stress

Two furry faces are helping the Greenfield Police Department relieve some stress caused by the challenges in 2020.

The simple sight of a dog can turn a day around. Goldendoodles Ana and Gizmo are the new therapy dogs for the Greenfield Police Department.

“The department as a whole, everyone just loves these dogs. It’s just really helped with camaraderie and stuff like that,” said Shannon Riddle, Patrol Officer, Greenfield Police Department.

And helps the students at Whitnall School District who get to see Gizmo.

“Honestly, it is the best addition so far to our school. He puts a smile on everyone’s faces. As soon as he walks into a classroom, you see everyone brighten up,” said Kayla Gold, senior at Whitnall High School.

Patrol Officer Shannon Riddle hopes the dogs help people connect and open up.

“Some people connect with people, some people don’t. If a dog can help, I think that’s a resource that can be provided,” said Riddle.

The two dogs will mainly be in a school setting — but will also attend community events in the future.

“Really think they’re impact is going to be endless,” said Riddle.

Gizmo is already impacting students the minute they walk through the door — always with a happy disposition.

“He’s sitting there ready for you to pet him and love him and all happy. Having a dog like that is just the greatest feeling,” said Gold.

The Greenfield Police Department is hoping the new addition will spread more smiles in the community.

“Everyone loves dogs. I don’t know a lot of people that don’t love dogs. I think it can just have a great impact and have more people be open to it and get more involved with the community,” said Riddle.