Vet With PTSD, Service Dog Suing Airline After ‘Abusive’ Treatment

The ADA of 2015 states that a "[service] animal must be trained to respond to the individual’s need. For example, an animal that is trained to sense that a person is about to have a psychiatric episode and trained to 'ground' the person by nudging or barking performs a task that qualifies it as a service animal." The key is that the animal is "trained," not just able to sense the onset of a psychiatric episode. That type of dog is defined as an "Emotional Support Animal" or ESA.

Airlines are not governed by ADA. At the time that Lisa McCombs and her ESA travelled, airlines were governed by the Air Carrier Access Act of 1986. It states, "The legal protections an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) has are to:
1. Fly with its emotionally or psychologically disabled handler in the cabin of an aircraft without being charged a pet fee.
2. Qualify for no-pet housing (that also includes limited size, breed, or species housing) without being charged a pet fee."
(The ACAA of 1986 was amended in 2015. That amendment took effect in 2016.)

The American Airlines employees were absolutely wrong to create a scene and prevent Lisa from travelling with her ESA. It seems evident that they had minimal understanding of the purpose of an Emotional Support Animal or the laws that govern it. With more and more veterans being diagnosed with PTSD, American society will see more ESAs. It is imperative that service industry employers train their employees on the definitions of service dogs and emotional support animals, as well as the pertinent laws that govern their industries (ADA or ACAA). On that same note, veterans with ESAs need to carry the proper documentation from a mental health professional.