為什么航空公司要限制支持動物登機(jī)

為什么航空公司要限制支持動物登機(jī)

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.

隨著飛機(jī)上動物數(shù)量的增加，航空公司報告了更多的動物在飛機(jī)上自由走動、排便或具有攻擊性的事件。幾家航空公司正在采取措施，以確保只允許訓(xùn)練有素、行為得體的服務(wù)犬和理療犬上飛機(jī)。

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

一些國家限制了飛機(jī)上允許攜帶的動物種類和品種;其他國家則規(guī)定了最低年齡。

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.”

但美國運(yùn)輸部(DOT)本周發(fā)布了一份指導(dǎo)文件，稱其中一些政策是不允許的。例如，達(dá)美航空禁止比特犬作為服務(wù)性犬，該機(jī)構(gòu)表示，它“認(rèn)為，在其服務(wù)動物監(jiān)管規(guī)定下，一項僅基于服務(wù)動物品種的限制是不允許的。”

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.

該航空公司還限制長途航班上的情感支持動物。如果飛行時間超過8小時，無論什么時候訂票，支持動物都不能登機(jī)。

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.

達(dá)美航空還在2018年6月宣布，將不再允許“斗牛犬”作為服務(wù)和支持動物飛行。與此同時，該政策還規(guī)定，每位乘客每次航班只能有一只情感支持動物。

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.

聯(lián)合航空公司也緊隨其后，宣布將不再允許4個月以下的小貓小狗乘坐任何航班，也不再允許任何情感支持動物乘坐8小時或更長時間的航班。

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.

這項政策也不符合交通部的新指導(dǎo)方針。美國交通部表示，航空公司不應(yīng)自動禁止服務(wù)性動物或情感支持動物乘坐8小時或更長時間的航班。

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.

達(dá)美航空公司稱，該公司每天運(yùn)送約700只服務(wù)或支持動物。顧客們曾嘗試與蛇、蜘蛛、火雞和滑翔負(fù)鼠一起飛行，作為安慰動物。

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).

美聯(lián)航還要求乘客在飛機(jī)起飛前48小時提供疫苗接種或健康證明文件(以及聯(lián)邦政府要求的醫(yī)生或治療師的情感支持動物證明)。

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.

“服務(wù)型”狗的概念可能是模糊的。許多人使用這個詞，但真正的服務(wù)犬是經(jīng)過高度訓(xùn)練的，可以執(zhí)行特定的任務(wù)來幫助殘疾人。

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.

服務(wù)型狗不同于情感支持型動物，后者為主人提供舒適，但不需要訓(xùn)練。只有一種動物可以合法地去任何公共場所，那就是服務(wù)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深入解釋了服務(wù)狗和情感支持動物之間的差異和保護(hù)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，有些人試圖把他們的寵物冒充服務(wù)犬，甚至是可疑的情感支持動物，這種做法遭到了強(qiáng)烈反對。當(dāng)這些寵物沒有得到良好的訓(xùn)練時，類似達(dá)美航空提到的事件就會發(fā)生。