[NAGDU] Spirit Airlines incident

Sun Sep 11 15:51:44 UTC 2022

I had a dog who was terribly stressed when flying. Nothing worked to help her. She was a food magnet, would eat anything if she could get it in her mouth, but she wouldn't take the highest value treats on planes. At the time, I had a job that required flying from time to time, and after the last time, I promised my dog I would never put her through it again, and I retired her, after five years together. She went back to her raisers, and eventually, when I had a job that let me work from home, they gave her back to me, because they were gone all the time. If I'd known I would get laid off from that job within four months of retiring that dog, I wouldn't have retired her, but at least I had her home for her last years. 

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Sharon S via NAGDU
Sent: Sunday, September 11, 2022 8:27 AM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users' <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Sharon S <koala at areujoking.com>
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Spirit Airlines incident

Hi, neither of my retrievers will curl up. I've never had a need to take them on a plane but if I was to go and they hadn't issued me the spare seat I think we will have a big problem trying to fit one of them in. Normally the dog goes on the window seat, and I sit in the next one. There was one flight where they insisted, I sit on the window and the dog sits on the ial side. This trip we were sitting in the front row of seats and as soon as we took off my dog started stressing. The hostess had already told me we would have to wait until everyone else was off the plane before I left because I was travelling alone. I had no issue with this since I had no idea where to go by myself. As soon as the door opened, which was diagonal from where we were sitting my dog made a run for it. Luckily I had a tight hold on her lead but once the hostess saw this she took us off first. The hostess had seen how stressed my dog was and even came to sit with us for some of the flight trying to help me settle the dog down. I don't think the stress was totally related to where she was sitting but it was just the last thing in a line of stresses she had been dealing with for the past week. If I am ever in a situation with a hostess telling me to sit ourselves like that I will put up a bigger fight.

Funny enough none of the safety talks have ever mentioned what to do with your dog if you need to evacuate the plane. The hostesses have given me one on one safety training at times with no mention of the dog. One airline had their safety instructions in braille which I read once when it was offered. In this book it talked about what to do if you need to leave the plane by the slides with your dog. But that is the only time I have been instructed on what to do with the dog, not even the school has gone over it in the training. One good thing about having an extra seat for the dog is you could probably put the extra life jacket on your dog if needed but I have never tried it. I know you can buy life jackets for dogs but I have never even thought about getting one. When I go out with the scouts on the boats I leave my dog at home.

Well probably should go to bed now. Both my boys are fast asleep but if I keep going for much longer the younger one will probably come over and tell me to get off the computer so he can come up onto my bed.

Bye for now.
From Shaz.
Canberra, Australia.

I don’t suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute.

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Cindy Ray via NAGDU
Sent: Thursday, 8 September 2022 7:12 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Cindy Ray <cindyray at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Spirit Airlines incident

 Greetings all, Gloria, while I respect your opinion, some of the things you suggest are going to make it more and more likely that we have to report we’re bringing a dog, etc. Comparing dogs curling up and children curling up is two different things. The dogs will do it readily, especially if they’re asked to do it on a regular basis. Whether we’re on a plane or in a crowded room, the one thing we need to do is see that our dogs are curled up and out of the way so people don’t trip on them, or a variety of other things. Cindy Lou Ray Moderator Cindyy ray at gmail.com 

Cindy Lou Ray
Sent from my iPhone

> On Sep 7, 2022, at 8:14 AM, gloria profusek via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi All,
> I heard that story quite a while ago. The dog was not a guide dog. Most guide dog denial or removal stories seem to be related to the size of the dog or failing to restrain the dog.
>  Removal Of Blind Man, Service Dog From Flight Sparks Outrage : The 
> Two-Way : NPRservice dog removed from airplane - Bing video Here are 
> some related videos. service dog removed from airplane - Bing video I have to say, the small seating space in a plane does not comfortably allow a guide dog (which is usually 60+ pounds) space to l lay for hours on end. Imagine a 60 pound child laying at his mother's feet during an entire flight without becoming fidgity or distressed. Not happening! Our dogs are well trained, true, but they are not machines and deserve an appropriate space on airlines. I would like to see airline regulations to allow guide dogs and handlers who notify the airlines in advance to have reserved bulkhead seating. Southwest accommodates me with bulkhead seats when flying with my 80 pound lab. Delta will make arrangements but I think you have to call and ask.
> Gloria
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Charlene Ota via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users' 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Charlene Ota <caota4 at gmail.com>
> Sent: Tue, Sep 6, 2022 11:29 pm
> Subject: [NAGDU] Spirit Airlines incident
> 
> I was wondering if anyone else has seen a situation that happened on 
> Spirit Airlines in the last couple weeks.  I was at lunch last week 
> and a couple of the people I was with had seen it on national news.
> Apparently, someone was traveling with their guide dog and for some 
> reason the airlines took the dog and put it in cargo, not in the 
> pressurized area mind you, and the dog froze to death.  I was 
> horrified to hear such a thing and haven't heard anything about it since.
> 
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> m

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