[NAGDU] Service Dog Registries To Streamline Travel For Veterans With 'Invisible Injuries'
Jenine Stanley
jeninems at icloud.com
Sun Jul 29 20:39:55 UTC 2018
So much for civil rights being a part of the conversation. All groups involved feel that what they are doing is noble. I beg to differ and am glad to see that the airlines at least understand some pretenses of the actual laws.
> On Jul 29, 2018, at 1:24 PM, Ginger Kutsch via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> FYI. The below story reports that two different groups are in the process of
> creating two different service animal certification registries that would
> provide veterans and active service members with the option of registering
> their psychiatric service animals as a way to prove legitimacy and increase
> ease of access in air travel -- and eventually, in all public places. It
> appears that the two groups have neither collaborated with one another or
> have any plans to do so in the near future. The two groups are:
>
> 1. The American Humane Society and Assistance Dogs International,
>
> 2. K9s for Warriors (a school that trains psychiatric service animals) and
> the American Kennel Club.
>
> The article also mentions that, despite multiple attempts to get the
> airlines to sign on to these registries, no progress has been made as yet.
> Both programs, in the long term, hope to expand their registries to all
> members of the service dog community.
>
>
>
> Service Dog Registries To Streamline Travel For Veterans With 'Invisible
> Injuries'
>
> July 28, 2018 NPR.org
>
> By Adelina Lancianese
>
> URL:
> https://www.npr.org/2018/07/28/633076559/service-dog-registries-to-streamlin
> e-travel-for-veterans-with-invisible-injuries
>
>
>
> tired Army Sgt. Kevin Crowell boarded an American Airlines flight from Miami
> to Key West with his wife and his psychiatric service dog Bella in April
> 2014. They were heading to a couples retreat sponsored by the Wounded
> Warrior Project.
>
>
>
> Crowell, who has been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from an
> explosion during his deployment to Iraq in 2004 and 2005, says he made sure
> he properly documented the golden retriever over the phone, days ahead of
> his trip.
>
>
>
> But, Crowell says, gate agents denied him a seat in the bulkhead of the
> plane, where Bella could sit comfortably in front of him, because "pets"
> were not allowed there. And when Crowell got off the plane to explain his
> situation, an airline representative petted Bella, which is strictly against
> suggested service dog guidelines.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Retired Army Sgt. Kevin Crowell sits with Bella, his psychiatric service
> dog.
>
>
>
> Courtesy of Kevin Crowell
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> The situation triggered Crowell's PTSD, turning a relaxing vacation into a
> "ginormous anxiety-producing disaster," according to the veteran. The family
> missed their flight to Key West and drove six hours back home. Crowell later
> sued American Airlines, and the Department of Transportation found that the
> airline failed to sufficiently train its employees on how to accommodate
> passengers with service animals.
>
>
>
> "Bella has helped me through the hardest times in my life," Crowell says.
> "But with her comes travel challenges. It's so stressful that my wife
> refuses to travel with Bella anymore."
>
>
>
> Crowell is not alone. Many veterans and active-duty service members use
> psychiatric service dogs to help alleviate the everyday challenges of PTSD,
> Traumatic Brain Injury and Military Sexual Trauma - conditions that service
> dog advocates call "invisible injuries." Now, the service dog community is
> eyeing a dog certification system to streamline travel and leisure for
> veterans who, like Crowell, are frustrated with the arduous process and
> stigmas attached to taking trips.
>
>
>
>
>
> Article continues after sponsorship
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> A Girl And Her Service Dog Head To The Supreme Court
>
>
>
> Politics
>
>
>
> A Girl And Her Service Dog Head To The Supreme Court
>
>
>
> "Their life is getting smaller"
>
>
>
> Rory Diamond is the CEO of K9s For Warriors, a nonprofit organization that
> bills itself as the largest provider of psychiatric service dogs for
> veterans.
>
>
>
> "Most of our graduates would rather not fly," he says of the veterans who
> have passed through the K9s For Warriors pairing and training program. "We
> realize that their life is getting smaller because of fake and poorly
> trained service dogs and we want their life to be big. We want them to have
> every opportunity."
>
>
>
> Diamond is referring to controversy this year surrounding the influx of pets
> boarding planes under the guise of emotional support or service animals.
>
>
>
> The 1986 Air Carrier Access Act does not define emotional support animals,
> creating an opportunity for enterprising passengers to pass off their
> household pets as ESAs to avoid paying pet fees. Legislation introduced in
> Congress in April would amend the ACAA with stricter definitions.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> (Left) Brenda J. Faulkner, an Army veteran and co-founder of The Truman
> Foundation, sits with her service dog Truman. (Right) His vest includes
> patches identifying him as a PTSD and disabled veteran service dog.
>
>
>
> Claire Harbage/NPR
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Psychiatric service dogs are different. They perform tasks to interrupt
> mental and emotional crises, such as waking their owners from nightmares,
> distracting them from painful flashbacks, and making space in crowded areas.
> And unlike emotional support animals, psychiatric service dogs are protected
> under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. Even still, the ADA does
> not set a behavioral standard for service dogs, nor require any training.
>
>
>
> "There's no real across-the-board standard for behavior or tasks for all
> service dogs. And there's a number of reasons for that, one of which is that
> there's so many types of service dogs," says Sheila Goffe, vice president of
> government relations for the American Kennel Club. "But the concerns that a
> lot of people have had ... is that we're seeing a lot of poorly trained
> service dogs out there that can actually be a threat to public health."
>
>
>
> "Zoo-like atmosphere"
>
>
>
> In January, a viral photo of a woman trying to board a United Airlines
> flight with an emotional support peacock prompted the carrier to tighten its
> policies on emotional support animals. United says it has seen a 75 percent
> increase in passengers boarding with ESAs, year after year.
>
>
>
> American Airlines notes that in the last three years, three times as many
> emotional support animals boarded its aircrafts - birds, sloths, kangaroos
> and pigs among them - than service animals, according to a comment filed by
> the carrier with the DOT.
>
>
>
> American describes the "zoo-like atmosphere" of airplane cabins crowded with
> emotional support animals, which are often registered online by for-profit
> companies that provide neon "support animal" vests and paper certificates
> for a fee.
>
>
>
> "Lady with dog lying on the floor, comforting the dog," one American
> Airlines flight attendant documented in a flight service report last year.
> "The 2 emotional [support] dogs were snapping at one another and agitated,"
> another attendant noted earlier this year.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Gina Esoldi stands with her service dog Ricky along with Kyle Santiago with
> his dog Kassi. Both work with Next Step Service Dogs.
>
>
>
> Claire Harbage/NPR
>
>
>
> Those instances, service animal advocates say, create challenges for
> veterans who might not look disabled.
>
>
>
> "When a veteran walks into a public store or restaurant and gets a stink eye
> because the person before him was there with a fraudulent dog, it puts a lot
> of stress on them," says Gina Esoldi of Next Step Service Dogs.
>
>
>
> Crowell, the veteran who sued American Airlines, says the general population
> doesn't understand veterans who have service dogs. He's received
> disapproving glances and invasive questions about his dog Bella.
>
>
>
>
>
> New Barking Orders For Documenting Support Animals Before Boarding Planes
>
>
>
> National
>
>
>
> New Barking Orders For Documenting Support Animals Before Boarding Planes
>
>
>
> "A service dog means you're blind, you're faking it, or you're crazy," says
> Crowell of public perception.
>
>
>
> In addition, veterans must provide documentation of the tasks their service
> dogs perform at least 48 hours before travel, according to ACAA guidelines.
> They can be questioned about whether their dogs are service animals and what
> tasks that dog performs for them. Most travel and leisure companies also
> require verification of vaccination.
>
>
>
> "You make one call to the airline and you get the runaround," Crowell says.
> "People think that having a service dog gives you magical access. But it
> makes you have to deal with other human beings every step of the way."
>
>
>
> "Improving the social mobility of veterans"
>
>
>
> Two registries in development would offer legitimacy for veterans with
> psychiatric service dogs. Diamond likens the idea of a registry to the TSA
> pre-check system: instead of providing paperwork that proves their
> disability and their dogs' vaccinations, veterans present a searchable
> identification number to any travel or leisure provider.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Navy veteran Thomas Gregg sits with his service dog, Gauge, at the
> conference.
>
>
>
> Claire Harbage/NPR
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> That number - on an I.D. card or a dog vest patch - can be used to verify
> the dog has been tested by an independent evaluator on its ability to
> perform tasks that alleviate symptoms of psychiatric disability, as well as
> on the dog's behavior in public spaces. It might also link to veterinary
> records and proof of military service.
>
>
>
> The first registry is called Operation Service Dog Access and was created by
> American Humane, the organization best known for its certification that "No
> Animals Were Harmed" in the making of films and television shows. Two dozen
> veterans, approved by a small network of independent evaluators, are doing a
> pilot program with the registry, according to the project's senior research
> adviser Amy McCullough. American Humane hopes to open the registry in the
> fall, with the help of some service dog providers and Assistance Dogs
> International, the country's largest opt-in accreditation organization for
> service dogs. The service will be free.
>
>
>
> "This project is all about improving the social mobility of veterans,"
> McCullough says.
>
>
>
> The second registry, the American Service Dog Access Coalition, is currently
> being workshopped by a group of service dog providers, including
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Brett Simon, president and co-founder of K9s for Warriors organization,
> stands with his dog Lincoln at the Association of Service Dog Providers for
> Military Veterans annual conference in Tyson's Corner, Va. The nonprofit
> bills itself as the largest provider of psychiatric service dogs for
> veterans.
>
>
>
> CRetired Army Sgt. Kevin Crowell boarded an American Airlines flight from
> Miami to Key West with his wife and his psychiatric service dog Bella in
> April 2014. They were heading to a couples retreat sponsored by the Wounded
> Warrior Project.
>
>
>
> Crowell, who has been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from an
> explosion during his deployment to Iraq in 2004 and 2005, says he made sure
> he properly documented the golden retriever over the phone, days ahead of
> his trip.
>
>
>
> But, Crowell says, gate agents denied him a seat in the bulkhead of the
> plane, where Bella could sit comfortably in front of him, because "pets"
> were not allowed there. And when Crowell got off the plane to explain his
> situation, an airline representative petted Bella, which is strictly against
> suggested service dog guidelines.
>
>
>
> The situation triggered Crowell's PTSD, turning a relaxing vacation into a
> "ginormous anxiety-producing disaster," according to the veteran. The family
> missed their flight to Key West and drove six hours back home. Crowell later
> sued American Airlines, and the Department of Transportation found that the
> airline failed to sufficiently train its employees on how to accommodate
> passengers with service animals.
>
>
>
> "Bella has helped me through the hardest times in my life," Crowell says.
> "But with her comes travel challenges. It's so stressful that my wife
> refuses to travel with Bella anymore."
>
>
>
> Crowell is not alone. Many veterans and active-duty service members use
> psychiatric service dogs to help alleviate the everyday challenges of PTSD,
> Traumatic Brain Injury and Military Sexual Trauma - conditions that service
> dog advocates call "invisible injuries." Now, the service dog community is
> eyeing a dog certification system to streamline travel and leisure for
> veterans who, like Crowell, are frustrated with the arduous process and
> stigmas attached to taking trips.
>
>
>
> Politics
>
> A Girl And Her Service Dog Head To The Supreme Court
>
>
>
> "Their life is getting smaller"
>
>
>
> Rory Diamond is the CEO of K9s For Warriors, a nonprofit organization that
> bills itself as the largest provider of psychiatric service dogs for
> veterans.
>
>
>
> "Most of our graduates would rather not fly," he says of the veterans who
> have passed through the K9s For Warriors pairing and training program. "We
> realize that their life is getting smaller because of fake and poorly
> trained service dogs and we want their life to be big. We want them to have
> every opportunity."
>
>
>
> Diamond is referring to controversy this year surrounding the influx of pets
> boarding planes under the guise of emotional support or service animals.
>
>
>
> The 1986 Air Carrier Access Act does not define emotional support animals,
> creating an opportunity for enterprising passengers to pass off their
> household pets as ESAs to avoid paying pet fees. Legislation introduced in
> Congress in April would amend the ACAA with stricter definitions.
>
>
>
> Psychiatric service dogs are different. They perform tasks to interrupt
> mental and emotional crises, such as waking their owners from nightmares,
> distracting them from painful flashbacks, and making space in crowded areas.
> And unlike emotional support animals, psychiatric service dogs are protected
> under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. Even still, the ADA does
> not set a behavioral standard for service dogs, nor require any training.
>
>
>
> "There's no real across-the-board standard for behavior or tasks for all
> service dogs. And there's a number of reasons for that, one of which is that
> there's so many types of service dogs," says Sheila Goffe, vice president of
> government relations for the American Kennel Club. "But the concerns that a
> lot of people have had ... is that we're seeing a lot of poorly trained
> service dogs out there that can actually be a threat to public health."
>
>
>
> "Zoo-like atmosphere"
>
>
>
> In January, a viral photo of a woman trying to board a United Airlines
> flight with an emotional support peacock prompted the carrier to tighten its
> policies on emotional support animals. United says it has seen a 75 percent
> increase in passengers boarding with ESAs, year after year.
>
>
>
> American Airlines notes that in the last three years, three times as many
> emotional support animals boarded its aircrafts - birds, sloths, kangaroos
> and pigs among them - than service animals, according to a comment filed by
> the carrier with the DOT.
>
>
>
> American describes the "zoo-like atmosphere" of airplane cabins crowded with
> emotional support animals, which are often registered online by for-profit
> companies that provide neon "support animal" vests and paper certificates
> for a fee.
>
>
>
> "Lady with dog lying on the floor, comforting the dog," one American
> Airlines flight attendant documented in a flight service report last year.
> "The 2 emotional [support] dogs were snapping at one another and agitated,"
> another attendant noted earlier this year.
>
>
>
> Those instances, service animal advocates say, create challenges for
> veterans who might not look disabled.
>
>
>
> "When a veteran walks into a public store or restaurant and gets a stink eye
> because the person before him was there with a fraudulent dog, it puts a lot
> of stress on them," says Gina Esoldi of Next Step Service Dogs.
>
>
>
> Crowell, the veteran who sued American Airlines, says the general population
> doesn't understand veterans who have service dogs. He's received
> disapproving glances and invasive questions about his dog Bella.
>
>
>
> New Barking Orders For Documenting Support Animals Before Boarding Planes
>
> National
>
> New Barking Orders For Documenting Support Animals Before Boarding Planes
>
>
>
> "A service dog means you're blind, you're faking it, or you're crazy," says
> Crowell of public perception.
>
>
>
> In addition, veterans must provide documentation of the tasks their service
> dogs perform at least 48 hours before travel, according to ACAA guidelines.
> They can be questioned about whether their dogs are service animals and what
> tasks that dog performs for them. Most travel and leisure companies also
> require verification of vaccination.
>
>
>
> "You make one call to the airline and you get the runaround," Crowell says.
> "People think that having a service dog gives you magical access. But it
> makes you have to deal with other human beings every step of the way."
>
>
>
> "Improving the social mobility of veterans"
>
> Two registries in development would offer legitimacy for veterans with
> psychiatric service dogs. Diamond likens the idea of a registry to the TSA
> pre-check system: instead of providing paperwork that proves their
> disability and their dogs' vaccinations, veterans present a searchable
> identification number to any travel or leisure provider.
>
>
>
> That number - on an I.D. card or a dog vest patch - can be used to verify
> the dog has been tested by an independent evaluator on its ability to
> perform tasks that alleviate symptoms of psychiatric disability, as well as
> on the dog's behavior in public spaces. It might also link to veterinary
> records and proof of military service.
>
>
>
> The first registry is called Operation Service Dog Access and was created by
> American Humane, the organization best known for its certification that "No
> Animals Were Harmed" in the making of films and television shows. Two dozen
> veterans, approved by a small network of independent evaluators, are doing a
> pilot program with the registry, according to the project's senior research
> adviser Amy McCullough. American Humane hopes to open the registry in the
> fall, with the help of some service dog providers and Assistance Dogs
> International, the country's largest opt-in accreditation organization for
> service dogs. The service will be free.
>
>
>
> "This project is all about improving the social mobility of veterans,"
> McCullough says.
>
>
>
> The second registry, the American Service Dog Access Coalition, is
> currently being workshopped by a group of service dog providers, including s
> For Warriors. Veterans who have graduated from a recognized dog pairing and
> training program will automatically enter into the registry. For
> self-trained pairs and service dogs acquired outside partner programs, ASDAC
> will use American Kennel Club-registered evaluators at more than 1,500 Petco
> dog store locations across the country. A subsidiary of Dell Technologies is
> developing the online registry. ASDAC hopes to roll out its registry in six
> months, available to veterans for a small fee.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Dixie is a PTSD support dog. Registry programs for service dogs hope to
> expand to all members of the service dog community.
>
>
>
> Claire Harbage/NPR
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Both registries face challenges. Neither program has received formal support
> from major airlines or travel destinations yet, according to Diamond and
> McCullough, despite both holding meetings with a slew of industry giants.
>
>
>
> "If we do it right, we will see large-scale adoption," says Keith Salisbury,
> who is leading technical support for the ASDAC registry on behalf of Dell
> subsidiary Pivotal. "Access providers like airlines would love to have an
> easy way to deal with what has become a legitimate problem."
>
>
>
> And if both registry programs come to fruition, they might be in direct
> competition.
>
>
>
> During a panel discussion at the Association of Service Dog Providers for
> Military Veterans annual conference, Diamond said he knows that similar
> programs are out there, but that the ASDAC is the only "collaborative way to
> take hold of this issue for ourselves and not have it imposed upon us."
>
>
>
> McCullough of Operation Service Dog Access had not heard of the ASDAC
> initiative. She says that she hopes "people can work together to solve this
> issue and improve access."
>
>
>
> Both programs, in the long term, hope to expand their registries to all
> members of the service dog community.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Service dogs rest during a panel discussion at the Association of Service
> Dog Providers for Military Veterans annual conference.
>
>
>
> Claire Harbage/NPR
>
>
>
> Crowell believes that a registry system will vastly improve the relationship
> among veterans, their service dogs and access providers like airlines or
> rideshare services.
>
>
>
> "Service dogs are only going to become more prevalent as war continues and
> as scientific research proves what this therapy can do," Crowell says. "A
> registry creates communication and reduces barriers. When people can gather
> and share information, it's a huge win for everyone."
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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