There are many ways to spot a fake service dog, but one particularly stands out: when the animal does not behave. That was the giveaway that that very cute little dog on my transcontinental flight was not really a service dog, but just a pathetic attempt by the owner to skirt the pet cabin fee. It’s just too easy to fake it…

That’s No Service Dog: The Scam That Ran Down The Concourse At JFK

A couple was standing at the gate area waiting to board. They had two dogs. One was being held by the woman while the other was in a bag beside her, as pictured above.

At one point, she took the second dog out of the bag. It proceeded to try to run away… scampering down the concourse for several seconds before the couple realized it had gotten away. The man sheepishly ran over to it. When it saw him coming, the dog continued to run… though it was finally caught and brought back.

Look closely and you’ll see that the second dog was not in a pet carrier…it was a purse. Thus, it is not an assumption that these folks claimed they were traveling with “service animals” because otherwise the dogs would have had to be contained in a bag.

I’m not going to provide date and flight number here because this sort of problem is hardly unique to one airline or route, but I will say that it is certainly highlighted in my own hometown, Los Angeles. Folks from LaLa land love to flaunt their little dogs and cannot be bothered to play by the rules and keep them in pet carriers.

I realize that we might collectively have bigger fish to fry right now as the government shutdown enters it second month, but this issue continues to grate me…I wish airlines were not so impotent to say, “Sorry, this is your pet and it will not travel in the cabin today.”

Yes, yes…there is still room for an enterprising carrier to cash in on Americans’ love for their four-legged friends and make it easier to carry dogs (and cats) onboard…I’d be happy to see that (and at the same time, avoid that carrier).

But it’s the lying that gets to me…and that airlines literally have no recourse unless the dog attacks someone. Heck, the dog can even leave droppings in the aisle and the flight attendants seem to shrug…

> Read More: Unleashed Dog Rambles Down Aisle On American Airlines Flight, Of Course Has An Accident…

So I say, shame on these people…when you game the system, those who really need service animals are put at risk.

CONCLUSION

I once had a “friend” who broke every rule with a “screw you” attitude, positing he was “above” any rules or regulations (from lines to littering to service dogs) and expressing disdain for following rules. I have disdain for that behavior because if everyone did likewise, society would break down. People like that are a threat to order and stability and a big threat to those who are genuinely in need of service animals.

Until the rules change concerning airlines, all I can do is continue to highlight anecdotes–like the story above–and try to call out poor behavior in hopes that it might deter at least some from copying the unethical behavior.