Navigating the New Rules Around Service Dogs and Air Travel

Joanna Lubkin, who relies on her service dog, Sully, for assistance due to her chronic pain and fatigue, found herself stranded at the Pittsburgh International Airport when JetBlue Airlines couldn’t find forms verifying Sully as a trained service dog. Joanna had previously filled out the required Department of Transportation (D.O.T.) form before her journey, a protocol that’s been in place since 2021. This form confirms the health, behavior, and training of the service animal. Her experience was smooth with Delta Air Lines, but JetBlue left her stranded and confused.

The issue arises from certain airlines like JetBlue using third-party services like the Open Doors Organization to verify these D.O.T. forms. For Lubkin, even though she’d submitted her form correctly, Open Doors hadn’t verified it, leaving her unable to fly.

This isn’t an isolated incident. Various travelers with disabilities have faced similar challenges, even after verifying their service dogs correctly for air travel. Airlines have tightened their policies after the rise of untrained pets on planes, leading to unfortunate incidents. JetBlue’s partnership with Open Doors came as a response to such events.

While the intention behind these stricter regulations is to ensure safety, the execution seems to be flawed. Many travelers, like Ashley Townsend, feel that the disability community is unfairly burdened. Townsend said, “I’m faced with this burden of proving that my service animal is legitimate, instead of people being held accountable for intentionally blurring that line.”

As airlines continue to refine their policies to ensure the well-being of all passengers, it’s crucial to strike a balance. This means safeguarding the rights and dignity of those who genuinely need service animals while ensuring the safety of the traveling public.

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