Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Add Upworthy to your Google News feed.
Google News Button

It is no secret that people have started to take advantage of the idea of "emotional support animals" to get their pets access to places where they wouldn't normally be allowed, like planes or restaurants. This is not to say there aren't valid reasons for someone to be prescribed an emotional support animal — there definitely are.

But an "emotional support animal" whose purpose is purely to provide comfort to their owner is different from a service animal that has been specifically trained in a skill to protect their owners with medical conditions or disabilities.


And one restaurant has decided the distinction between the two has gotten way too blurred. They clarified their position on emotional support animals vs. service animals by posting a notice on their door.

As they write, "a service animal is a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability." This includes animals like seeing-eye dogs and dogs that are trained to detect seizures in people with epilepsy.

Although an "emotional support animal" might be prescribed by a psychiatrist or another doctor, that doesn't mean the animal is specifically trained to handle a medical issue. And, according to the restaurant, the law states they can ask for proof of the animal's qualifications.

A problem arises with emotional support animals who are allowed in public places like this when the animals aren't even properly trained to be around people. According to The Washington Post, Marlin Jackson was attacked by a supposed "emotional support dog" on a plane ride from Atlanta to San Diego.

The reportedly 50-pound chocolate lab-pointer mix was sitting on its owner's lap instead of on the floor where the dog was supposed to be when it lunged at Marlin and bit him several times in the face and mouth, resulting in 28 stitches and leaving him with permanent scarring.

It is terrible when people use the emotional support animal distinction to get their terribly-behaved pets on flights or into other public spaces where non-working animals aren't permitted. That's obviously not what the system was meant for. And I'm saying this as an animal lover who really believes that if you have a well-behaved animal, you should be allowed to have it in public.

But there's little way to regulate if people are telling the truth when they say their dog is perfectly behaved when they aren't required to be specifically trained for a job.

There's also the problem of people trying to bring other... more exotic animals on board airplanes under the guise of "emotional support."

Remember this peacock, for instance? When airlines started cracking down on the animals they let on planes, emotional support pets like Dexter the peacock were denied permission to board.

People who try to game the system really are ruining it for people with disabilities who rely on their service animals. In March of 2018, Delta Airlines restricted which animals are allowed on flights. They began to require "conformation of animal training" in addition to immunization records and a letter from a doctor or licensed mental health professional prescribing the animal.

According to Delta, there has been an 84 percent spike in animal incidents since 2016. These incidents include "urination / defecation" and "biting." That's not OK!

There are legitimate reasons to have an emotional support animal. People suffering from PTSD often benefit from the comfort of a dog. Not to mention, there are myriad medical issues that can be allayed by being near dogs and other animals.

It's just when irresponsible people try to take advantage of the system for their own benefit without having respect for the people around them that we run into problems.

This article originally appeared four years ago.

More For You

Widow keeps entire inheritance while stepdaughter faces eviction. She just got a reality check.
Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | Mikhail Nilov; Reddit | u/Spiritual_Alps3413

Widow keeps entire inheritance while stepdaughter faces eviction. She just got a reality check.

Inheritance disputes often lead to heated debates, especially when a family is divided. One woman recently sparked outrage after revealing that she inherited her late husband’s entire estate—nearly a million dollars—without leaving anything for his 16-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.

Posting on Reddit as u/Spiritual_Alps3413, the widow asked if she was wrong for keeping everything while her stepdaughter and her mother struggled to survive.

Keep ReadingShow less
Man cancels wedding after fiancée refuses to include his daughter
Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | TranStudios Photography & Video; Reddit | u/whoevenisthat5

Man cancels wedding after fiancée refuses to include his daughter

A wedding is supposed to be a celebration of love and family, but for one man, it became the breaking point in his relationship. Reddit user u/whoevenisthat5 shared how he was forced to call off his engagement after his fiancée refused to include his 11-year-old daughter in their wedding.

At first, he thought it was just a disagreement over wedding roles—but when he found out her real reason for wanting to leave his daughter out, he realized there was no future for them.

Keep ReadingShow less
9-year-old with autism stuns the world with an IQ higher than Einstein
Cover Image Source: Instagram/Adhara Maite Pérez Sánchez

9-year-old with autism stuns the world with an IQ higher than Einstein

At just 9 years old, Adhara Pérez Sánchez has achieved what most people can’t even imagine. The Mexico City native has an IQ of 162—higher than Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking, who were both estimated to have IQs of 160, according to PEOPLE.

Despite facing relentless bullying due to her autism diagnosis, Pérez has not only graduated high school but is also pursuing two college degrees in systems engineering and mathematics.

Keep ReadingShow less
Teacher unleashes glorious payback against school after forced to pay for class trip himself
Representative image by Canva

Teacher unleashes glorious payback against school after forced to pay for class trip himself

School excursions often provide unforgettable experiences and bonding opportunities for students, but for teachers, they can be loaded with logistical headaches. So when a teacher was asked to single-handedly finance a field trip—with zero compensation—Reddit user u/Unfunded_Teacher took to the platform to vent about this bizarre demand.

Representative photo by Pexels | Anny Patterson

Keep ReadingShow less
The shopping cart test: the viral theory that claims to reveal who’s a “good” person
Representative photo by Joshua Rawson-Harris | Unsplash

The shopping cart test: the viral theory that claims to reveal who’s a “good” person

A simple decision at the grocery store—returning a shopping cart or leaving it in the parking lot—might say more about your personality than you realize. According to a viral theory, this everyday action is actually a litmus test for self-governance and social responsibility.

The idea, originally posted on 4chan, suggests that putting a cart back in its designated place is a sign of good character. Unlike other social norms, there are no immediate consequences for abandoning a cart, making it a pure test of whether someone will do the right thing without being forced.

Keep ReadingShow less