Service Dogs (PTSD, VAC activity, etc.)

[mariomike]

News items on this subject,

Dec 07, 2015
Veteran Kate Skywalker's emotional support animal rejected by Air Canada
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/veteran-skywalker-s-cat-can-t-fly-as-emotional-support-animal-1.3349860
Mentally ill entitled to same rights as physically disabled, advocate says

January 26, 2016
An Edmonton veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder says the Department of National Defence has limited the areas he can visit on his base with his service dog.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/veteran-says-edmonton-base-has-limited-areas-he-can-go-with-service-dog-1.2753563
But the military says his dog does not qualify under the province’s Service Dog Act.

January 13, 2014
Air Canada is apologizing to a soldier for a “misunderstanding” after she was told her service dog, which helps her cope with her symptoms of PTSD, was not allowed on board a flight she had booked to attend her grandmother’s funeral over the weekend.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/air-canada-apologizes-for-telling-soldier-with-ptsd-her-service-dog-not-welcome-1.1637453
"Air Canada’s rules, as posted to the airline’s website, suggest service animals for emotional or psychiatric support are permitted only aboard flights to the United States."

 

[Pieman]

There is a backlog in filling current orders.  The timeline currently is a minimum of three years for delivery.

Three years! She'll be all haggered and used up by the time I get her issued.  [lol:

 

[CountDC]

Dec 07, 2015
Veteran Kate Skywalker's emotional support animal rejected by Air Canada
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/veteran-skywalker-s-cat-can-t-fly-as-emotional-support-animal-1.3349860
Mentally ill entitled to same rights as physically disabled, advocate says

According to their web site and by calling them her cat would be accepted if in a proper carrier as her carry on bag at no charge.

January 26, 2016
An Edmonton veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder says the Department of National Defence has limited the areas he can visit on his base with his service dog.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/veteran-says-edmonton-base-has-limited-areas-he-can-go-with-service-dog-1.2753563
But the military says his dog does not qualify under the province’s Service Dog Act.

January 13, 2014
Air Canada is apologizing to a soldier for a “misunderstanding” after she was told her service dog, which helps her cope with her symptoms of PTSD, was not allowed on board a flight she had booked to attend her grandmother’s funeral over the weekend.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/air-canada-apologizes-for-telling-soldier-with-ptsd-her-service-dog-not-welcome-1.1637453
"Air Canada’s rules, as posted to the airline’s website, suggest service animals for emotional or psychiatric support are permitted only aboard flights to the United States."

There is a difference between Service Animals and Support Animals.  Service are highly trained and I have never worried about one biting me.  Support are basically any animal the person bonds with to provide them some balance.  My daughter now has a support chinchilla, doesn't bite but most certainly not trained.  Support animals need different rules as they do not have the same training.  For the woman flying I wonder if her dog may have fit the carrier for carry on baggage of pets.

Novelty I found out yesterday when talking to Air Canada about pets - they do not accept Parrots as baggage as they talk and may be mistaken for someone trapped in the Cargo area.

 

[cupper]

I posted upthread that we have two rescued dogs as support animals for my wife to help deal with panic and anxiety disorder and to force her to get outside and not become shut in.

But there really has to be limits. For example:

Flying turkey ruffles feathers about 'emotional support' animals on planes

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2016/01/14/turkey-ruffles-feathers-about-emotional-support-animals-on-flights.html

If you think that air travel has gone to the birds, it has -literally.

We're talkin' turkey, as in that big Thanksgiving bird, one of which recently was spotted aboard a Delta flight acting as a "support animal," and that's causing a flap over how passengers are using, and abusing, comfort animal rules.

So how can a turkey get on a plane?  Simple.  The passenger provided proper documentation proving the fowl was indeed their emotional support animal, so Delta let the bird on board, and even gave it its own seat.

“When I saw that turkey on Twitter, I thought here we go.”

Turkeys aren't the only animals used as emotional support animals on flights.  Horses, pigs and--yes, dogs are regularly used.

In 1986, Congress passed the Air Carrier Access Act, allowing service animals to fly on planes and ensuring they can't be removed simply on the grounds that other passengers object. That turkey, or other emotional support animals, requires documentation from a mental health professional. It can't walk about the cabin and can't do their business during the flight (after 8 hours the animal's owner must plan for the clean disposal of waste), something that must be a written guarantee from the human passenger. They also can't block aisles or take up seats near the emergency doors.

It's good to know that Delta and other U.S.-based carriers prohibit unusual service animals, such as snakes and other reptiles, ferrets, rodents, and spiders, as written in the federal guidelines of The Air Carrier Access Act. While Delta prohibits farm poultry, it allows domestic birds, and the turkey, well --apparently is a domestic bird.

In a statement to USA Today, Delta said by letting the turkey fly, they complied with the Air Carrier Access Act. "While we can't always accommodate all pets, Delta employees made a judgment call based in part on extensive documentation from the customer. We review each case and make every effort to accommodate our customers's travel needs while also taking into consideration the health and safety of other passengers."

Travel expert George Hobica, president of the website Airfarewatchdog.com, says these animals are all well and good until something happens.

"The problem with animals of any kind on planes, of course, is possible allergic reactions by other passengers and the possibility that an animal will bite a crew member or another passenger (there have been instances of this happening) or have an accident on the plane, perhaps even forcing an emergency landing if it's bad enough and passengers become ill as a result."

More of a concern is the growing trend of passengers faking emotional support needs and gaming the system to get around paying exorbitant pet fees.  Service animals are free, while shipping pets can cost hundreds of dollars.

SOAR president Captain Tom Bunn, a former commercial pilot who now helps people manage their fear of flying, says it's all too easy to get a therapist to write a note. And websites are popping up that provide emotional support vests and necessary letters for fees ranging from $59 to $200.

"Any therapist can sign off on any kind of animal," he said.  "Science has proven that when dogs look at you with total devotion, it produces oxytocin, a hormone that shuts down the fear mechanism.  The turkey, I don't think so."

Bunn rarely uses dogs or other support animals in his therapy, opting instead for visualization techniques that would bring on the flow of oxytocin. 

He says support animals do help for jittery fliers, but when the system gets abused, it's not good for anyone.

"When I saw that turkey on Twitter, I thought here we go," he said. "Some people are going to very annoyed that they paid several hundred dollars to fly with a turkey."

It's likely airline executives feel the same way. But airlines face fines as high as $150,000 for refusing requests for legitimate support animals, and as those requests increase, so does the threat of a lawsuit.

According to Bunn, until the Department of Transportation changes guidelines, there's only one solution.

"The airlines and everyone on board will have to live with it,"says Bunn.

And there are photos at the link of the turkey in the plane cabin, and being wheeled through the terminal on a wheel chair.

 

[blackberet17]

Quick update on the service dog pilot project at VAC.

Recruitment for the pilot study is complete, and the final report is expected by December 2017.

The pilot study focuses on determining how psychiatric service dogs may assist Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. The study will follow two groups of Veterans. Group I includes Veterans paired with a service dog and monitored for approximately 18 months. Group II involves interviewing a group of Veterans who have had their psychiatric service dog between two and four years.

A short Q&A is available internally. If anyone has further interest, please pm and I'll share some of it through those means.

 

[catalyst]

Somebody's read their SDAT messages today

It will be very interesting to see how things turn out.

 

[blackberet17]

Somebody's read their SDAT messages today

Yep 

 

[mariomike]

Suppose we will be reading more of these stories, both veteran and civilian,

Sep 5, 2016

Mississauga woman refused treatment at two clinics due to service dog
http://www.citynews.ca/2016/09/05/mississauga-woman-refused-treatment-at-two-clinics-due-to-her-service-dog/
For Christine Coutts, stepping outside of her home, is a daunting task that she says is oftentimes met with much anxiety and panic attacks.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Quick update on the service dog pilot project at VAC.

Recruitment for the pilot study is complete, and the final report is expected by December 2017.

The pilot study focuses on determining how psychiatric service dogs may assist Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. The study will follow two groups of Veterans. Group I includes Veterans paired with a service dog and monitored for approximately 18 months. Group II involves interviewing a group of Veterans who have had their psychiatric service dog between two and four years.

A short Q&A is available internally. If anyone has further interest, please pm and I'll share some of it through those means.

Anyone seen a report?

 

[Teager]

Seems a final report is coming July 2018.

http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/news/vac-responds/just-the-facts/service-dogs

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Seems a final report is coming July 2018.

http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/news/vac-responds/just-the-facts/service-dogs

Cheers Teager.

***UPDATE***

My ticket finally came up. After almost a three year wait, I got the call to go for training in May and will receive my companion the first week of June. Happy camper I am

 

[Teager]

Well RG at least there was a tad bit of good news in the budget. Veterans service dogs are now eligible for tax credits.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

That's great news! Tanks! Teager.  :cheers: