Dog Takes A Poop In Airport Parking Garage Before Flying American Airlines First Class

An American Airlines first class passenger took to social media to brag on his dog’s first flight. Sure, he says, the pet “took a poop in the parking garage” but once firmly ensconced on the floor of the carrier’s first class cabin, he knew it was going to be a great flight.

Based on the dog’s size and that he’s not in a carrier under the seat, he’s traveling as a ‘service animal’ under a disability accommodation. Okey dokey.

Airline passengers for years have faced a choice when traveling with pets.

  • Pay a pet in cabin fee for small dog or cat. And on top of the fee, the pet goes underneath the seat in front of you, and counts as your full-sized carry-on bag. You can only bring an additional personal item. And this is limited to animals that fit.

  • Or just pretend to have an emotional support animal. It’s free. You can still bring your carry-on bag. It can even be a horse, and it doesn’t have to stay in a bag underneath your seat.

Before the pandemic, the FAA worked with airlines on new regulations that helped them crack down on the Noah’s Ark approach to domestic pet travel. Ostensibly passengers are now limited to real service animals. In practice, though, you just have to fill out paperwork in advance and say you have a service animal.

That step alone cracks down on some of the abuse. People who were bringing turkeys onto planes aren’t also the people who tend to file paperwork in advance.

Service animals aren’t ‘pets for someone with emotional challenges’ they are trained working animals. But if you can fill out paperwork in advance, you’re breaking rules, but you can still bring your farm to first class.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. Get off the anti dog kick PLEASE. You have to identify if a service animal and, while there is no national registry or certification, there is certain paperwork along with, as I recall, vet records that are needed. My daughter had a service dog (legit of course) who unfortunately has since passed away which flew with her numerous times with no problem. There is no evidence this dog caused any issues on the plane.

    As for the poop in the garage, you do know that every airport has a pet relief area where dogs can go right? The owner most likely cleaned it up. You definitely want a go to “go” right before the flight to make it more comfortable on them. True service dogs are trained to hold it but no reason to make them uncomfortable.

    Gary – the list of quirks and pet peeves or yours just keeps growing.

  2. Why are you picking on the dog? From the way the Message is worded, it’s entirely possible the human took the poop in the garage. LOL

  3. Hi Gary, in my many years of travel (AA EP for 25+ years, a 6-Million Miler), I’ve seen nearly everything. And, yes, it is getting worse each year. I have had oncology patients who truly needed some emotional support from a trusted animal, and I gladly assisted them with paperwork. But much of what I see in our “Zooports” (airport zoos) are standard-issue “Texas 4×4’s” (4 feet tall, 4 feet wide, 4 feet around) who got an extra helping of mouth, opinion, and dessert as they drag “Fluffy the Poodle” along with his Amazon-supplied “Therapy Dog” vest. Quite sad.
    EdSparks58

  4. To help reduce our carbon footprint and help save the planet, I believe many “View from the Wing” readers take a poop in the Admirals Club before flying American Airlines First Class.

  5. As usual, I have issue with the declaration that these customers are “breaking the rules.” It’s the rules themselves – which are vague and not specific – that are the problem. If you want better compliance with what whatever you think service animal rules should be, you should encourage a change in the rules so that service animals:

    1) Address whatever needs you deem cross the threshold for requiring a service animal
    2) Are properly trained by qualified professionals
    3) Are effectively “prescribed” by qualifying doctors

    The fact is, the current rules require none of this – so change the rules!

  6. I disagree with the first poster, we need more anti dog/pet/”emotional support animal” posts. This country needs to actually make and enforce rules

  7. The entire pet thing is out of control. Unless you have a valid medical need, and not your inability to deal with life an an adult without Fido or Tabby by your side, leave the cat of dog home or at a pet hotel. Just another data point for the rising number of adults with the maturity level of a six year old, including this moron.

  8. The ADA has specific requirements for service animals. Emotional support animals are not the same as service animals and are not covered by the ADA.
    There is no paperwork, certifications or prescription needed for service animals.
    Service animals must be well behaved and can be asked to leave.

  9. @Gary, a very quick Google of this guy shows that he’s a Paralympic athlete and has Cerebral palsy. It would stand to reason that he might need a service animal, don’t you think? It’s one thing to call out misbehaved dogs (and owners), but saying a disabled person has a “service animal” in quotes and “Okey dokey” is unwarranted.

  10. This isn’t true and hasn’t been for years. Dogs have to be certified. Owners can’t just fill out a form. Airlines are also to blame for ridiculous limits on sizes for paid in cabin travel.

  11. @Tennen – great point but of course Gary couldn’t wait to jump on another story concerning a dog on a plane (which is his latest fetish).

    @Mary Snider – no there isn’t standard certification. And they do fill out a form and provide additional info (like vet records) to the airline. They are then given a service animal reference number for future use. I know this because my daughter not only has had service animals but she trains them.

    @Anthony – to require someone to state specifically the medical condition they have goes against the ADA and similar such federal regulations. It actually isn’t a HIPAA violation (I helped write some of the original HIPAA compliance rules and served on an AHA task force that provided input to Congress) as self declarations aren’t a violation (only disclosures from covered entities like providers, payers or clearing houses. However, to require that level of medical data on someone is contrary to the overall American concept of privacy in addition to breaking certain federal statutes.

  12. @Mary Snider. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) doesn’t require service dogs to be certified. As no certification is needed, please let us know what federal or state agency offers a service dog certification, as certification is not required.

  13. We need national certification standards to ensure that dogs on flights are actual service animals rather than just jerks flaunting the rules. Unfortunately that’s unlikely to happen until some kid gets horribly mauled by a “service animal”, after which the government will belatedly find its ass with both hands and realize the desperate need for regulation.

  14. Last flight I was on incident report : Kid running down aisle to front as plane approached landing, mother with screaming baby standing in front galley whose husband threw a fit when flight attendant asked her twice to move down the aisle as the pilots were exiting cockpit to use restroom, man locks himself in front bathroom for 25 minutes delaying takeoff, rear passengers running to front upon landing before seat belt indicator is turned off. The dog of the passenger seated next to me sat patiently on the floor during the entire flight. I’d take the dog sitting next to me over many of the passengers anytime.

  15. Jetway Jesus and this are two very good reasons why there need to be laws criminalizing disability fraud. Lie about a disability? Get banned and be locked up.

    Even if a business can’t ask for documentation of the alleged disability, a jury would be able to require it as evidence of innocence.

  16. WHERE’S your story on the APFA ratification, Gary?

    You have covered this story for years. and it has now reached its conclusion

  17. I work in the public transit industry and under the ADA bus drivers are allowed to ask to questions but not for any paperwork or proof:

    The two questions are:
    1) Is that a service animal?
    2) What service is animal trained to perform?

  18. @J, @SubwayNut and @Ken A: You don’t even know that airlines are not subject to the ADA, but you want us to take your comments seriously?

    @AC: No, vet records are NOT required.

    @Mary Snider: There is no certification required under the ACAA.

  19. US airlines are only covered by ADA Regulations for employment purposes. The confusion is probably brought on by the fact that airports and terminals are covered by ADA regulations while common carriers are not.
    It doesn’t have to be fair to be legal.

  20. He has cerebral palsy and is a paralympics champion. For this case, the dog is really a service dog, and i would let him poop in the garage.

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