为什么航空公司要限制支持动物登机

为什么航空公司要限制支持动物登机

With the increase in animals on flights, airlines have reported more incidents of animals roaming freely around the plane, defecating or being aggressive. Several airlines are taking steps to help ensure that only trained, properly-behaving service and therapy dogs are allowed on flights.

随着飞机上动物数量的增加，航空公司报告了更多的动物在飞机上自由走动、排便或具有攻击性的事件。几家航空公司正在采取措施，以确保只允许训练有素、行为得体的服务犬和理疗犬上飞机。

Some have limited the types and breeds of animals allowed on planes; others have instituted a minimum age.

一些国家限制了飞机上允许携带的动物种类和品种;其他国家则规定了最低年龄。

But the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a guidance document this week saying that some of these policies are not allowed. For example, Delta bans pit bulls as service dogs and the agency says it “views a limitation based exclusively on breed of the service animal to not be allowed under its service animal regulation.”

但美国运输部(DOT)本周发布了一份指导文件，称其中一些政策是不允许的。例如，达美航空禁止比特犬作为服务性犬，该机构表示，它“认为，在其服务动物监管规定下，一项仅基于服务动物品种的限制是不允许的。”

The banning of pit bulls was just one change to Delta's service and support animal policy. (Photo: Nieuwland Photography/Shutterstock)

The airline is also restricting emotional support animals on long-haul flights. If a flight is eight hours or more, a support animal is not allowed on board the plane regardless of when a ticket was booked.

该航空公司还限制长途航班上的情感支持动物。如果飞行时间超过8小时，无论什么时候订票，支持动物都不能登机。

Delta also announced back in June 2018 it would no longer allow "pit bull-type" dogs on flights as service and support animals. At the same time, the policy introduced a limit of one emotional support animal per customer per flight.

达美航空还在2018年6月宣布，将不再允许“斗牛犬”作为服务和支持动物飞行。与此同时，该政策还规定，每位乘客每次航班只能有一只情感支持动物。

United Airlines followed suit and announced that it would also no longer allow kittens and puppies under 4 months old on any flights and any emotional support animals on flights eight hours or more.

联合航空公司也紧随其后，宣布将不再允许4个月以下的小猫小狗乘坐任何航班，也不再允许任何情感支持动物乘坐8小时或更长时间的航班。

This policy also doesn't meet the DOT’s new guidance. The DOT said airlines shouldn't automatically ban service animals or emotional support animals from flights lasting eight hours or more.

这项政策也不符合交通部的新指导方针。美国交通部表示，航空公司不应自动禁止服务性动物或情感支持动物乘坐8小时或更长时间的航班。

Delta flies about 700 service or support animals each day, according to the company. Customers have attempted to fly with snakes, spiders, turkeys and gliding possums as comfort animals.

达美航空公司称，该公司每天运送约700只服务或支持动物。顾客们曾尝试与蛇、蜘蛛、火鸡和滑翔负鼠一起飞行，作为安慰动物。

United also requires passengers provide vaccination or proof of health documentation 48 hours before a flight (along with the federally-required doctor or therapist's note for emotional support animals).

美联航还要求乘客在飞机起飞前48小时提供疫苗接种或健康证明文件(以及联邦政府要求的医生或治疗师的情感支持动物证明)。

A service dog is one that has been specifically trained for its owners health needs. (Photo: Glynnis Jones/Shutterstock)

The idea of a "service" dog can be fuzzy. Many people use the term, but true service dogs are highly trained to perform specific tasks to help an individual with a disability.

“服务型”狗的概念可能是模糊的。许多人使用这个词，但真正的服务犬是经过高度训练的，可以执行特定的任务来帮助残疾人。

Service dogs are different from emotional support animals, which provide comfort to their owners, but don't require training. The only animal that legally can go to any public place the handler goes is a service dog.

服务型狗不同于情感支持型动物，后者为主人提供舒适，但不需要训练。只有一种动物可以合法地去任何公共场所，那就是服务犬。

MNN's Jaymi Heimbuch has an in-depth explanation of all the differences and protections offered to service dogs versus emotional support animals.

MNN的Jaymi hech深入解释了服务狗和情感支持动物之间的差异和保护措施。

As Heimbuch points out, there has been a backlash against people who try to pass off their pets as fake service dogs or even questionable emotional support animals. When these pets aren't well trained, incidents like the one Delta cited can occur.

正如hech所指出的，有些人试图把他们的宠物冒充服务犬，甚至是可疑的情感支持动物，这种做法遭到了强烈反对。当这些宠物没有得到良好的训练时，类似达美航空提到的事件就会发生。