Support the Support and Therapy Dogs

By B.W. Durham

This headline ran in The Washington Post and in media across the U.S. on October 29:

“Combat veteran with PTSD wasn’t allowed to fly with her service dog. So she sued.”

Lisa McCombs, a decorated Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was barred from boarding a regional American Airlines flight with her support dog, a Labrador named Jake (pictured above) who was wearing his service vest and was properly documented.

McCombs relies on Jake to help her feel safe, secure and to calm her anxiety and panic caused by PTSD.

After being forbidden to board the plane with Jake, former Army Captain McCombs sued American Airlines and its regional subsidiary, Envoy Air, alleging negligence, breach of contract and violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Good for her. I hope that American Airlines and Envoy Air are found guilty as charged and forced to pay McCombs a plane load of money in legal damages.

I find it a bit unusual that 26 years after passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, some companies still don’t “get it” – they flagrantly ignore the law and ADA provisos for service dogs, support dogs and therapy dogs.

It seems to me that companies doing that are not only criminal but immoral.

The unique benefits of service dogs for people who are disabled or need assistance are unparalleled. Likewise, the benefits of therapy dogs for people with PTSD or other emotional or mental conditions are too – they are simply priceless.

Lisa McCombs was obviously well within her legal rights when she tried to board a plane with her support dog Jake. And the airline’s denial of her rights began a 48-hour nightmare – as she was repeatedly questioned, hassled and humiliated by airline agents, according to The Washington Post and her federal lawsuit.

When ordered to tell two airline agents about her disability and explain how her service dog helps her, McCombs replied, “I have PTSD, look at me, I’m an anxious mess! He’s my service dog! I don’t understand why I’m being treated like this!”

The agents were so intimidating that people nearby began rebuking them and tried to comfort McCombs, who was “emotionally crushed and humiliated by the conduct of (American’s) agents, who discriminated against her because of her disability and publicly shamed her.”

For the record, “A service animal means any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual or other mental disability,” according to the ADA.

Emotional Support Animals, Comfort Animals and Therapy Dogs are not service animals under Title II and Title III of the ADA, yet Emotional Support Animals, Comfort Animals and Therapy Dogs are used as part of medical treatment plans as therapy animals. They provide companionship, relieve loneliness and often help with depression, anxiety and certain phobias, and make the owner feel safe. And they comply with ADA provisos for service animals.

Until the recent incident that occurred in Manhattan, Kansas, McCombs and her dog have never been kept from boarding a plane. But since then, thousands of people have expressed support for McCombs and Jake – and distain for American Airlines and its subsidiary, Envoy Air.

Congratulations to those people. You and your support animals are within your rights, too. Here are travel provisions for Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals defined by the ADA National Network:

Ground Travel

For your information, a person traveling with a service or support animal cannot be denied access to transportation, even if there is a “no pets” policy. In addition, the person with a service or support animal cannot be forced to sit in a particular spot; no additional fees can be charged because the person uses a service or support animal; and the customer does not have to provide advance notice that s/he will be traveling with a service animal.

The laws apply to both public and private transportation providers and include subways, fixed-route buses, paratransit, rail, light-rail, taxicabs, shuttles and limousine services.

Air Travel

The Air Carrier Access Act of 1986 requires airlines to allow service animals and emotional support animals to accompany their handlers in the cabin of the aircraft. For evidence that an animal is a service or support animal, air carriers may ask to see identification cards, written documentation, presence of harnesses or tags, or ask for verbal assurances from the individual with a disability using the animal.

Lisa McCombs and Jake complied with those federal requisites. But they weren’t allowed on the plane. McCombs ended up spending $500 for a ticket out of Kansas City and $100 for a rental car to drive there and finally fly home after a two-day delay.

McCombs’ case is receiving national publicity because The Washington Post story was widely circulated. And other media – including local and national newspapers, radio and TV outlets, not to mention social media—featured their own stories about the incident.

All this makes me curious about the issue of service and therapy dogs in general and, in particular, people with disabilities, emotional problems or mental problems whose lives can greatly benefit from the assistance, companionship and unconditional love that support dogs can provide.

I also find it curious – and astonishing – that the latest trend on college campuses is that students expect administrators to provide so-called “safe spaces” where students can avoid exposure to dissenting ideas that make them feel uncomfortable, stressed or ill at ease. This peculiar phenomenon is spreading at many colleges and universities – anxious to keep their students feeling calm, secure and safe from other students and faculty whose comments/ideas they feel are threatening or make them nervous. How can this be happening in the same country where some authorities are denying military veterans who’ve fought for the country the right to travel with support and therapy dogs that help them feel safe and help them deal with PTSD and other debilitating conditions?

Providing Dignity, Hope and Independence

In St. Louis, at least two not-for-profit organizations provide highly trained service, support and therapy dogs to individuals who have disabilities or suffer from conditions that can be ameliorated by the helpful assistance, presence and unconditional love of a support dog.

Support Dogs, Inc. is a national not-for-profit organization founded in 1981 that today is based in a new facility in the St. Louis suburb of Olivette, Missouri. Its many services – services that are provided by trained dogs ranging from mobility services, to help for people who are deaf, military veterans, special needs children and many other benevolent services – are shown on its website https://www.supportdogs.org/.

C.H.A.M.P. Assistance Dogs, Inc., founded in 1998 and based in Florissant, Missouri, like Support Dogs, Inc. places skilled service dogs with people who have disabilities to help them lead lives of greater independence, and also places trained dogs with professionals who utilize their dogs' special skills in healthcare centers, courthouses and children’s advocacy centers. C.H.A.M.P. also conducts community education programs and a women’s prison program. C.H.A.M.P. stands for “Canine Helpers Allow More Possibilities!” http://www.champdogs.org/.

Each organization is guided by a strong and experienced board of directors whose members are community leaders in business, law, healthcare and veterinary care, and whose executives and staff are experienced veterans of professional roles in public and private education, nonprofit management, public services, healthcare and special needs services.

Both organizations have teams of dedicated, devoted, talented and qualified volunteers – and are always looking to expand those teams.

And if the testimonials and success stories of Support Dogs, Inc. and C.H.A.M.P. don’t get to you, then seek medical help. Here are a few of many success stories from the websites of Support Dogs, Inc. and C.H.A.M.P.:

“Charles is a Vietnam Veteran who suffers from the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). For several years, Charles only went three places because of trust issues and his fear of interacting with other people. Cali will accompany Charles everywhere he goes, including the radio station. Charles is the host of ‘Vet Net,’ a national radio show that broadcasts specifically to veterans.”

“Brandon was paired with Tommy in February 2015, in part to increase his confidence when leaving the house. Brandon is a military veteran who now deals with the effects of multiple sclerosis. Brandon uses a power chair, as well as walks when able because his mind set is “use it or lose it!” So Tommy helps Brandon with balance when Brandon walks, and also assists when there is an opportunity to retrieve or open doors.”

“Tackle was placed with Lindsay in February 2015 to help with the effects of spinal muscular atrophy type II. According to Lindsay, she considers herself a very independent person and Tackle will help her not have to rely on her parents or others for assistance. Almost immediately after placement, Tackle not only helped Lindsay with all of the skills he learned, such as retrieves, but he helped her roll in bed during the night and with propping up her head when needed.”

“C.H.A.M.P. has given our daughter a special friend. Bentley has come into our house and has added such joy. We love him, but we especially love him for what he is doing for our daughter. He is by her side always. He helps her pick things up and helps her sit more securely on the floor, but most importantly he has given her a huge purpose. Being physically disabled, Natalie has to rely on everyone all the time to help her with everything. She wants to be independent but just can’t in so many ways. Bentley gives her a sense of purpose. He is her dog and she feels responsible for his care. She brushes him and feeds him, she chooses where she wants him to sit, and she ‘tucks’ him into his crate beside her bed each night. These are just a few things that she does with Bentley. Their relationship will grow and change and we are all looking forward to it. Thank you, C.H.A.M.P. for helping Natalie and our entire family. Bentley is such a gift and we love him.”

To receive program assistance from Support Dogs, Inc. and C.H.A.M.P., individuals should complete applications shown on their websites. And, of course, both agencies rely on financial donations from individuals, corporations and foundations to help maintain their programs – and capable volunteers are, obviously, crucial for each organization.

Employment

The ADA National Network notes that today’s laws forbid employment discrimination because of a disability. Employers are required to provide reasonable accommodation for those with substantial disabilities. Allowing an individual with a disability to have a service animal or an emotional support animal accompany them to work may, or may not, be considered an accommodation. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which enforces the employment provisions of the ADA (Title I), does not have a specific regulation on service animals. In cases of a service animal or an emotional support animal, if the disability is not obvious and/or the reason the animal is needed is not clear, an employer may request documentation to establish the existence of a disability and how the animal helps the individual perform his or her job.

Such documentation might include a detailed description of how the animal helps the employee perform job tasks and how the animal is trained to behave in the workplace. A person seeking such an accommodation may suggest that the employer permit the animal to accomapny them to work on a trial basis before joining them full time.

Yet as all people who are disabled know, more than 70 percent of disabled people age 16 to 64 are unemployed.

I support the support dog organizations – and I hope you will, too. As Xerxes said after the battle of Thermopylae, “Dogs aren’t our whole lives but they make our lives whole.”

B.W. Durham, a lover of dogs, can often be found in his business office accompanied by his border collie mix Norma and his black lab Shir-lee, both of whom make themselves comfortable on the floor beside his desk.

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