WASHINGTON — Back in the day, a dog dumping runny deuces inside a plane full of passengers was the stuff of nightmares. Now, thanks to 'emotional support animals' it's an increasingly typical reality.<br /><br />The New York Times reports that cheapskates who want their pets to fly for free turn to websites offering service animal "certification."<br /><br />This has led to a boom of untrained dogs, birds, rodents, reptiles and amphibians in plane cabins...and lots of disgruntled staff.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the people with legit, properly trained service animals are getting a bad rep.<br /><br />It's even worse for people with disabilities that aren't visible, like brain injuries or PTSD.<br /><br />This is why veterans and disability groups are now wanting new transportation rules, and local or federal regulations that would necessitate animal certification for public spaces. <br /><br />According to the New York Times, airlines are working to cut down on the number of animals onboard.<br /><br />Some are sympathetic to the veterans, and already have policies that make it harder for those who are just out for a free ride.<br /><br />Airlines have also joined forces with veteran groups to crack down on bogus emotional service animals. This means only allowing species that can fulfill service functions, aka, probably not a hamster, sloth, or turtle.
