Business
Business

Travelers with fake service animals trigger response

A turkey on a Delta flight was described as an “emotional support animal,” The Telegraph reported in January 2016. The picture was later picked up on Reddit with the bird being called a “therapy pet.” Source: WCTV

Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi

Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi

A turkey on a Delta flight was described as an “emotional support animal,” The Telegraph reported in January 2016. The picture was later picked up on Reddit with the bird being called a “therapy pet.” Source: WCTV
By
Nov 3, 2016

Some people who travel with emotional support animals are starting to raise some eyebrows.

The issue of fake emotional support animals is a growing problem for flight attendants, frequent fliers and people with disabilities who have service animals for medical reasons, reports the AJC's Ellen Eldridge.

“It’s getting to be ridiculous,” Jen Williams, an Atlanta-based flight attendant, told Eldridge. “A co-worker saw a ferret wearing a diaper that was supposedly an emotional support animal.”

Read the full story for more about why people have emotional support animals and how much it normally costs to travel with a pet.

About the Author

As business team lead, Kelly Yamanouchi edits and writes business stories. She graduated from Harvard and has a master's degree from Northwestern.

Follow Kelly Yamanouchi on facebookFollow Kelly Yamanouchi on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

(Illustration: Marcie LaCerte for the AJC)

Credit: Marcie LaCerte for the AJC

Have you thought about how AI will change cybersecurity? You should.

Some Atlantans and companies are dabbling in AI, while others have fully embraced it. But with any fast-changing technology promising opportunity, there’s a dark side.

6 ways AI can upgrade your holiday shopping this season

Shoppers are turning to AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity to research products, compare prices and more.

Hyundai suppliers fined after forklift death at Georgia EV factory site

Three companies affiliated with Hyundai’s Metaplant campus near Savannah have been fined for safety violations that allegedly contributed to a worker’s gruesome death.

The Latest

The 2025 Navigator is the flagship vehicle of the Lincoln brand. (Tyler Gourley/Lincoln/TNS)

Credit: TNS

In the market for a luxury vehicle? You might reconsider Lincoln.

Beyond the odometer: What matters most in a used car

Why your car’s safety tech needs maintenance, too

Featured

Atlanta art and antiques appraiser and auctioneer Allan Baitcher (right) takes bids during a 2020 auction. Baitcher and his company, Peachtree Antiques, are being sued by a Florida multimillionaire who says he paid them $20 million for fakes. (AJC 2020)

Credit: Phil Skinner / Staff

Atlanta antique appraiser made $20M selling fakes, lawsuit says

An Atlanta art and antique appraiser is being sued by a Florida multimillionaire, who says he spent about $20 million on thousands of fake works.

How an ex-Texan and a university helped change the face of a Georgia city

Mercer University President Bill Underwood is stepping down after two decades at the helm. He's credited with boosting enrollment, resurrecting football and reshaping Macon.

Thanksgiving to bring chilly, dry, overall delightful weather to metro Atlanta

A big drop in temperatures is coming overnight Wednesday, so go ahead and pull out those flannels and blankets.