[nagdu] Flying cats and other creatures

Tue Jan 27 22:43:53 UTC 2009

My opinion on the topic is that people with service animals should notify 
the airline ahead of time. The people in the seats near that person should 
be notified of the presence and type of animal, so that they can switch 
seats if they are uncomfortable or allergic.

Nicole

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dan Weiner" <dcwein at dcwein.cnc.net>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 12:20 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Flying cats and other creatures

Oh, allergies, I've heard the allergy excuse from cab drivers until I'm sick
of it, honestly.

Maybe those with allergies should inform the airlines that they can't be
next to animals.

Now, one sentence in the article makes me wonder.  It says that "many" blind
people are using guide horses, do we know just how many?

Cordially,

Dan

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Ginger Kutsch
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 10:57 AM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nagdu] Flying cats and other creatures

Flying cats and other creatures
By Ken West
Published: January 26, 2009
Lynchburg News, VA
http://www.newsadvance.com/lna/lifestyles/features/article/flying
_cats_and_other_creatures/12799/

The once "friendly skies" aren't so friendly any more. Families need to take
extra precautions when flying with children or older adults who have health
concerns. An example follows.

After New Year's, my son and daughter-in-law were flying from Dulles to
Portland. Patrick and Sarah are both medical doctors in Oregon. During the
flight, Sarah's eyes began to swell. She took on asthma-like symptoms and
experienced difficulty breathing normally. Although doctors, both became
worried as her symptoms worsened without any apparent explanation.

Upon "deplaning," the two watched in disbelief as the couple sitting
directly behind them pulled two cats in cages from underneath their seats.
Along with 15 percent of the American population, Sarah has a severe allergy
to cats. Unlike many Americans, she has immediate access to a colleague who
is an allergist.

Nevertheless, the next day she was forced to greet her new AIDS patients
while wearing a patch over one eye and with skin speckled with rashes. She
imagined the patients were wondering if they should be the ones wearing
plastic gloves.

Not so simple
My initial reaction was to wonder why cats were allowed on planes. Quickly,
I discovered that the issue is more complicated than I thought (see
"Assistance Animals" below). While some airlines do not allow passengers to
carry pets in the cabin, others allow owners to pay a hefty fee to stow
animals under their seats.

What remains inexplicable is why airlines are not required to check with and
relocate people who may have allergies to animals.
In addition, there are some people who simply don't like animals.
On a long trip to Hawaii, I was forced to sit away from my family. I looked
at the person next to me. To my surprise, I saw four eyes staring back: the
passenger's and her dog's. It's not that I don't like dogs, but I do dislike
the permissiveness of many dog owners. I was not happy.

Fortunately, the stewardess asked if I would mind trading seats with a
person who had asked to be moved and was also not seated with a family. But
when I sat in my new seat, there was a man next to me who must have weighed
400 pounds and totally covered the armrest between us, and more. I could
only smile, thinking that the person who asked to be moved was now looking
into a dog's eyes.

Assistance animals
The most intriguing argument about animals on planes concerns which ones are
truly assistance animals. We are accustomed to, and tolerant of, guide dogs.
However, the definition of assistance animals is expanding. National Public
Radio interviewed Rebecca Skloot, who writes about airlines and restaurants
and people who advocate they broaden their views of "assistance animals."

Skloot told of a man named Jim Eggers, who has bipolar disorder.
He is now allowed to carry his parrot named Sadie on planes and into
restaurants. "Sensing that her owner is on the verge of a psychotic episode,
Sadie talks him down with, 'It's OK, Jim. Calm down, Jim. I'm here, Jim.'"
(NPR)

Many blind people have traded in traditional guide dogs for guide miniature
horses, which can legally help their owners through stores and restaurants.
Why? "Horses tend to live and work into their 30s, whereas a guide dog will
work six to eight years total," Skloot explained.

As readers can imagine, expanding the definition of assistance animals
creates challenges. People are not required to prove their animals are
trained to help with their disabilities (which also do not require
documentation). Unfortunately, some people take advantage of the loose
regulations. Stay tuned.

Common sense
Few people would object to a person taking an assistance animal on board. We
would even have empathy for people carrying animals on board, which could
not bear the temperature changes that might occur in a plane's cargo hold.

However, I am amazed that airlines are not required to inform passengers
that an animal will be near them and then to reseat people, if they have
allergies or strong objections. Warning: If you or a family member has
allergies, the skies are no longer friendly.

Ginger Bennett Kutsch
Morristown, NJ

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