Delta Air Lines updates policy and continues pit bull ban following DOT guidance.
Delta's Policy Update
Atlanta, GA - On September 23, 2019 Delta responded to Department of Transportation (DOT) final guidance regarding service animals that was issued on August 8. "Effective immediately, Delta is discontinuing its 8-hour flight limit for emotional support animals (ESAs)," states Delta's announcement. Delta is continuing its ban on pit bulls as service and support animals that it began in July 2018 in order to "protect the airline’s employees, customers and trained service animals."
Following a sharp increase in onboard animal incidents and attacks, Delta instituted its ban on pit bulls in 2018, to protect the airline’s employees, customers and trained service animals. Pit bulls account for less than 5 percent of the overall dog population but 37.5 percent of vicious dog attacks. Understanding this risk, Delta has not come to a solution for allowing pit bulls onboard that satisfies its own rigorous safety requirements.
"We will never compromise on safety, and we will do what is right for the health and safety of our customers and employees," said John Laughter, Senior Vice President – Corporate Safety, Security and Compliance. "We continue to work with the DOT to find solutions that support the rights of customers who have legitimate needs to travel with trained animals." - Delta Air Lines, September 23, 2019
In mid-August, our nonprofit released a special report detailing areas of the current rule that are undefined, as we explored how the DOT final guidance would affect Delta's pit bull ban (Beneath the 'Headlines' of the DOT's Final Guidance of Enforcement Priorities Regarding Service Animals). The DOT final guidance came after Delta and other airlines adopted new policies in early 2018 designed to tackle the growing number of untrained service and emotional support animals.
In June 2017, a Delta passenger was repeatedly attacked in the face by an untrained psychiatric service dog. In May 2019, the victim sued Delta and the dog's owner, intensifying this issue.
The DOT final guidance gave airlines until mid-September to adjust any policies that are out-of-step with the Enforcement Office's interpretation of the current rule, of which parts remain undefined. Later this year, the DOT will issue its NPRM regarding the "appropriate definition of a service animal." The DOT final guidance is "not legally binding in its own right" and conformity with the guidance (as distinct from existing statutes and regulations in Part 382) is voluntary only.
The DOT's final guidance stated in part, "the Department is not aware of and has not been presented with evidence supporting the assertion that an animal poses a direct threat simply because of its breed" and "The Enforcement Office continues to take the view that restrictions on specific dog breeds are inconsistent with the current regulation." Delta's view is that "untrained, pit bull-type dogs posing as both service and support animals are a potential safety risk."
Delta stated in their policy update, "Pit bulls account for less than 5 percent of the overall dog population but 37.5 percent of vicious dog attacks." Thus, providing the DOT with facts to support their ban. However, there has long been federal precedent for this ban. A decade ago, all major U.S. military divisions banned pit bulls and several other dog breeds from privatized housing due to presenting an "unreasonable risk to the health and safety of personnel in family housing."
"The safety of our people is paramount," states Delta's policy update. "In 2018 alone, more than 40 instances of aggressive animal behavior occurred aboard a Delta aircraft," said Allison Ausband, Senior Vice President of In-Flight Service. "Our 25,000 flight attendants are my greatest responsibility, and I will do everything I can to keep them safe and send them home to their families in the same condition they came to work." Thank you for being a leader in safety Delta!
Learn why breed matters in service dogs and why pit bull service dogs are a bad idea. Primarily, pit bull "breed advocates," not advocates for the disabled, promote pit bulls as service dogs.
Some of the dog breeds most often categorized as pit bull-type dogs affected by Delta's ban.
Related articles:
08/19/19: Beneath the 'Headlines' of the DOT's Final Guidance of Enforcement Priorities
06/04/19: Delta Passenger Attacked in the Face by a Large "Support" Dog Sues Airline...
03/04/19: Mother of Child Mauled by an 'Emotional Support' Pit Bull at Portland Airport Sues
07/05/18: Why Breed Matters in Service Dogs and Why Pit Bull Service Dogs are a Bad Idea
06/23/18: Delta Bans Pit Bull-Type Dogs as Service, Support Animals in the Cabin
01/25/18: Delta Tightens Reins on Untrained 'Support' Dogs in the Aircraft Cabin
07/14/17: Delta Passenger is Severely Attacked by an Unrestrained Emotional Support Dog
I would pay extra to be on a pet-free flight. Because that’s what these so-called service and support animals really are, pets.
KaD, you have a very entitled and limited view on disabilities. Suggesting that a blind person can find their way around a plane on their own? Good grief.
Having dated a blind person, I can say that yes, the blind can find their way around on planes. If they don’t have a guide dog, and many of them don’t, they can navigate with a cane.
No to mention that planes aren’t exactly roomy. I am legally blind without my glasses and macular degeneration runs in my family so my view is quite realistic.
Same. I can navigate most places without my glasses or contacts despite being legally blind, as can my sister who has the same condition. I feel fortunate that I have some sight, but for the most part I use my other senses such as echolocation (there’s a difference in the environmental sounds when I’m near a wall or other object, almost like a sixth sense for me). When you can’t see, your other senses become much more profound. Many blind people lead fulfilling lives without the use of a service animal.
I pray to God in Heaven that the service and support dog insanity that has been allowed to maliciously force itself on normal society will be extinguished soon. Thank God that Delta has not shut itself off from receiving Gods’ own Truth. Now, if only all other human beings who dictate policy for governments and corporations can allow their hearts to be opened to what is just and correct and good and safe for society.
The only problem I see with banning guide dogs for the blind on planes, is that these dogs are very expensive and time-consuming to train, and time-consuming to replace. Cargo holds for planes are not the safest place for living creatures, until planes fix that issue, I don’t think guide dogs should be banned from planes. Bear in mind that guide dogs, unlike “emotional support” dogs, are mostly Labrador Retrievers (never pitbulls), and that guide dogs that show any bit of aggression, anxiety, fear, are weeding out during training and not used. While the lack of room is an issue on planes, there is no reason to fear a guide dog attacking someone (unlike “emotional support” dogs.)
The simplest solution would be that the service dog has to pass an obedience test and flight simulation before it’s allowed on an airplane and the owner has to pay for the testing.
Guide dogs would pass and so would properly trained dogs for epilepsy, deafness, etc.
Nervous or poorly trained dogs, would not. Also, breed ban. Period. No fighting breeds.
The other option would be proper animal cargo by the airlines or specific, improved cargo, flights.
Too many dogs have died in the cargo holds.
We need service dogs to be regulated like they are in Canada. The honor system worked back when service dog meant Seeing Eye Dog. Now that any ailment can allegedly be assisted or predicted with a dog it is just too tempting for the fakers. I suspect part of why the honor system no longer works is that there is less honor nowadays.
ESAs are BS and should be ended. You want a pet at home? Live somewhere that allows pets and pay the damage deposit like everyone else. It seems insane to me that the government can order airlines to allow untrained pets ,that is what ESAs are, in the cabins of airplanes for free.
To make it worse idiots get dogs like pits and claim they are ESAs. Pit bulls are dangerous to ship as air cargo. They are the only dog I know of that has chewed through a bulkhead and damaged wiring. The plane could have crashed if the pit had eaten a few more wires. Somehow an untrained pit is supposed to be safe in the cabin. Even if they weren’t dangerous they are way too big to be in the cabin. I can’t figure out were the pit that attacked the guy on Delta was supposed to sit. Did they give it a whole seat for free?