Coloradans Strongly Oppose the New ESA Travel Ban

In January of this year, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced a new regulation regarding pet transportation by air.

In this new rule, airlines are allowed permission to deny emotional support animals (ESAs) the service animal treatment they once had—And it also means airlines are allowed to treat ESAs as pets and charge the passenger a pet fee.

Perhaps the most controversial part of the regulation is the ability airlines will have to limit service animals to dogs only, requiring advance notice and documentation of the dog’s training.

As a result, some argue that dogs are not the only animal with the ability to assist passengers, and the new rule hindered hundreds of people from traveling.

“It sucks for the few people that actually need their ESA to travel and will now have limited options,” said one Reddit user on this post.

Others argue that the addition of the regulation is for the best interest, and that many people who travel with an ESA are simply going through a “loophole” in the airline industry to get out of paying for their pet’s ride. After all, the typical cost to bring a pet in the cabin can be costly, ranging from $75 to $200 depending on the airline.

One reddit user said, “This is a positive change. As a service dog handler, there is nothing more difficult or aggravating to deal with than ESA’s and fake SD’s. I fully support people who need a SD for psychiatric issues, but it must be a task trained dog up to service standards.”

The mixed opinions on the regulation are apparent in a survey done by pet food supplier, Vet Naturals, who polled over 1,800 Americans on their feelings about the new rule. They found that 39% of Americans think the rule is far, while 36% think it’s unfair.

According to the survey, Colorado is the state most opposed to the new regulation compared to the national average. The number of people opposed to the rule are almost 22% above the national average.

Other top states opposing the ban are Washington, North Carolina, and Kentucky. The states least opposed to the ban include Idaho, Alaska, and Nebraska.

It will be interesting to see where the future of ESA airline travel will go, and what the effects will be in the years to come.

Airlines have already seen a spike in airline travel amidst an increased number of people receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, and more people will feel the effects of the ban as they begin to travel again.

One thing seems evident, and that’s that Coloradans do not appear to be onboard with these new regulations.