LAS VEGAS, NV--(Marketwired - Jan 23, 2016) - One Delta airlines passenger recently made history and caused a great many heads to turn by flying on a regularly scheduled flight, in its own seat. The turkey was fully registered as an emotional support animal, and was accompanying its owner on the flight in that capacity. While many other passengers were surprised or shocked, the situation was simply unusual in the sense that it was a turkey providing the emotional or therapeutic support for its owner.
Animals registered as service animals, emotional support animals, or therapeutic support animals have the protection of the law in all states, and are granted full access to public areas, even in places where their presence might normally be unexpected. Delta Airlines was acting in compliance with the Air Carrier Access Act, which authorizes animals providing some kind of emotional support or service to fly with their owners, as long as they present no disruption to other passengers or the flight crew.
Emotional support animals are defined by the law as companion animals which provide therapeutic benefit, such as alleviating or mitigating some symptoms of a disability to an individual with mental or psychiatric issues. Emotional support animals are typically dogs and cats, but may include other animals as well -- even turkeys.
While some passengers may have been offended to share space with a turkey, and may have considered the scenario to be blatant use of a legal loophole, the turkey's owner certainly had a far different view. Whatever kind of emotional support the turkey provided to its owner, such animals are generally considered to be indispensable components of their owners' well-being and self-management.
For this reason, public access is granted to emotional support animals accompanying their owners, even in situations that might seem strange or out of place to uninformed observers.
About USA Service Dog Registration
USA Service Dog Registration (USASDR) is an organization that offers its services to individuals to help them get service dogs, therapy animals, and emotional support animals fully registered as support animals. Animals registered in one of these categories are granted full access to public areas, as they are providing various kinds of support to their owners, and are necessary for owners' well-being. USASDR also supplies information to individuals needing to know specific state laws on public access for their support animals.
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