[NAGDU] Delta bans kittens and puppies as support animals on all flights and all emotional support animals on longer hauls

Melissa Allman MAllman at seeingeye.org
Thu Dec 13 18:43:08 UTC 2018


Hi Marion. Thank you for all the work NAGDU has done to cultivate a productive working relationship with Delta in an effort to protect the rights of guide dog users. Regardless of whether people agree with the changes, it sounds like Delta is being transparent and it is clear that the policy change does not affect guide dog handlers.

Best,
Melissa

Melissa R. Allman
Senior Specialist, Advocacy and Government Relations
The Seeing Eye, Inc.
P.O. Box 375, Morristown, NJ 07963-0375 (mail)
10 Washington Valley Road, Morristown, NJ 07960-3412 (deliveries)
973-539-4425 ext. 1724,     Fax:  973-525-1081 mallman at SeeingEye.org  


-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of NAGDU President via NAGDU
Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2018 11:05 AM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Cc: NAGDU President
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Delta bans kittens and puppies as support animals on all flights and all emotional support animals on longer hauls

Dear All,

	I want to reiterate Mike's assertion that Delta is working with the National Association of Guide Dog Users and the National Federation of the Blind to ensure that guide dog users do not face discrimination when using their services. We have an excellent relationship with Delta and a very high level of open communication. As an example. Tim bishop, a member of Delta's upper management team with whom we have been meeting since February, called me on Tuesday to give me the heads-up that they were releasing this new policy. Since it is improbable that a four-month-old puppy would be a guide dog, this policy does not, in any way, affect us as guide dog users.

Fraternally yours,
Marion


Marion Gwizdala, President
National Association of Guide Dog Users Inc. (NAGDU) National Federation of the Blind
(813) 626-2789
President at NAGDU.ORG
Visit our website
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The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise expectations because low expectations create barriers between blind  people and our dreams. You can live the life you want! Blindness is not what holds you back.

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michael Hingson via NAGDU
Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2018 10:21 AM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Cc: Michael Hingson
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Delta bans kittens and puppies as support animals on all flights and all emotional support animals on longer hauls

Nancy,

Delta rescinded the original bad policy. There is no detrimental policy of which I am aware concerning Delta and service animals. GDB is behind the times if they won't use Delta. NAGDU talks and meets regularly with Delta and we have become a regular part of their input stream. Delta discusses with Marion and others changes they consider involving service animals.

I think we know pretty much what goes on with Delta. It is unfortunate that GDB has taken a hands-off position especially since they also submitted a letter to Delta when the original questionable policy was sent out earlier this year.

As I said yesterday, training of airline personnel may be an issue in some cases. We are working with Delta to insure that they do proper training. As I requested yesterday, we want to know of any problems anyone has with delta people.

Thanks. 


Best Regards,


Michael Hingson

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Nancy VanderBrink via NAGDU
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2018 2:00 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Nancy VanderBrink <vandyvanderbrink at outlook.com>
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Delta bans kittens and puppies as support animals on all flights and all emotional support animals on longer hauls

So, Michael, we just returned from GDB two weeks ago and they told us that they do not put returning students on Delta flights because of the issues with service animals. It sounds like they are concerned about it being a big problem. I don’t know if you have any thoughts on that or what not but that is what we were told. We flew out from Delta because we flew through Atlanta but we flew back on United and came through Dullis and then down to our airport here in South Carolina. It was a very long long day!

Please forgive the typos as this message was most likely generated using voice dictation Nancy Irwin Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 12, 2018, at 4:41 PM, Michael Hingson via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:

Also, puppy raisers work out appropriate details with the airlines as their charges are not yet service dogs. If Delta's new rules effect this then it is not something we can address. NAGDU is concerned about guide dogs which are classified as service dogs. Puppies in training, as already has been mentioned here, are not yet trained and different airlines have been willing to transport them as special considerations.


Mike H.

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Julie Johnson via NAGDU
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2018 10:31 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Julie Johnson <julielj at neb.rr.com>
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Delta bans kittens and puppies as support animals on all flights and all emotional support animals on longer hauls

Cindy,

Puppies that young are typically not exposed to anything as stressful as airplanes.  typically really young puppies are learning things like housebreaking, to walk on different surfaces, to be okay around different sorts of people, and to not whine for their mamas and littermates.  Training should be age appropriate, and IMO plane travel training is not age appropriate.

Of course there is the issue of transporting puppies to/from puppy raisers, trainers or breeders.  That is an entirely different issue though, as the dog is not being presented as working for the handler or being in the process of being formally trained.

Julie
On The Go with Guide-and-Service-Dogs.com http://www.guide-and-service-dogs.com
also find my products in the Blind Mice Mega Mall <https://www.blindmicemegamall.com/bmm/shop/Directory_Departments?storeid=1916046>
-----Original Message-----
From: Cindy Ray via NAGDU
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2018 12:16 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Cc: cindyray at gmail.com
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Delta bans kittens and puppies as support animals on all flights and all emotional support animals on longer hauls


My only concern was where it says service or support animals under four months of age. If  you are training a guide, how old are they when you actually start. Under four months seems young, but I am not sure it is.
Cindy Lou Ray
cindyray at gmail.com


-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Buddy Brannan via NAGDU
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2018 12:06 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Buddy Brannan <buddy at brannan.name>
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Delta bans kittens and puppies as support animals on all flights and all emotional support animals on longer hauls

Nope. Emotional support animals are not service dogs, and are not covered under the ACAA. Why would they do this? Couldn’t have anything to do with the huger spike in the number of people flying with badly behaved emotional support animals…Nah…has to be something else.

> On Dec 12, 2018, at 12:02 PM, Jessica Dail via NAGDU 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> Is this illegal?
> 
> Why would they do this?
> 
> Thanks,
> Jessica
> https://www.marketwatch.com/story/delta-bans-kittens-and-puppies-as-su
> pport-animals-on-all-flights-and-all-emotional-support-animals-on-long
> er-hauls-2018-12-10
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> _______________________________________________
> NAGDU mailing list
> NAGDU at nfbnet.org
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> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> NAGDU:
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