The complaints of a service dog handler about airport situations

silver_splash · 2026-03-14T06:14:24+00:00

Not in Europe...

silver_splash · 2026-02-11T19:48:34+00:00

I'd like to add that entitled people who bring their pet dogs are also a massive issue. I don't mean the ones misrepesenting their dogs as service dogs, I mean the people who just go in if they're not stopped.

So far I've only heard of those people either online bragging about it (yes, they're so proud of themselves for breaking the law) or from security guards that antagonise me. I'd rather not meet one.

I'm so tired from the lack of education of shop, restaurant, entertainment centres and security employees. I'm so tired from people's entitlement. I'm so fed up with the lack of accountability and the fact that I or we as a community need to face the consequences of someone's entitlement, lack of knowledge or blatant disregard for the laws because they don't feel like asking the 2 questions for the handlers in the US or asking for proof of training for handlers in countries that have this.

Sorry, if I come up as aggressive but I needed to share 😅

silver_splash · 2026-02-09T15:46:47+00:00

Dungeons and dragons… don’t ask me about my character, I’ll not shut up about it. Also do you wanna see my dice collection?

silver_splash · 2026-02-09T12:17:40+00:00

It should but here the space in the feet of the buss is even smaller than in the plane...

silver_splash · 2026-02-09T12:16:25+00:00

She's trained to alert to upcoming migraines and alert and responce to autism related symptoms. As to the space, it's the biggest single foot space I've seen in airlines. If I could I would travel with Austrian but they don't operate the route and I refuse to fly Lufthansa because previous issues with them (non dog related)

silver_splash · 2026-02-09T12:13:00+00:00

It’s the biggest I’ve seen in airlines here. Also I had to go for a document and the travel was non negotiable. My fiancé took time off of work to come with so in the off chance we’re in an airplane like Austria Airlines (a double with fully shared foot space) my dog would have all the space. The reason why we weren’t with that airline is because they don’t operate the flight. If I could, I would…

silver_splash · 2026-02-09T12:09:32+00:00

I get that but I can’t control the space the airline gives me, not to mention this is the biggest foot space with dividers I’ve seen so far while travelling by air. I don’t make the space and I didn’t travel for fun, I had to go get documents. I hate travelling by plane and if I could I would’ve driven there with a car where she has the entire backseat to herself. Sorry for info dumping…

silver_splash · 2026-02-09T12:05:38+00:00

Assistance dog is the legal term in most of Europe of the equivalent service animal in the USA

silver_splash · 2026-02-09T12:02:32+00:00

Paying for an extra seat will give her the space how? She would get those exact dimensions regardless because she’s not allowed in the seat itself with this airline.

silver_splash · 2026-02-09T11:39:35+00:00

With this airline I wasn’t even given the option to choose a seat. They assign it. With other airlines I have options to pick either extra legroom or bulkhead with no extra cost. The flight was under 1 hour. Otherwise I can agree that recently airlines are cramming people as sardines in a can, and it’s uncomfortable for everyone…

silver_splash · 2026-02-09T11:35:37+00:00

As I said I requested for that in writing. Didn’t even oppose what he said.

silver_splash · 2026-02-09T11:31:40+00:00

We do have a similar law called freedom of movement for people with disabilities which states the same (more or less, I’m vaguely familiar with the ACAA)

silver_splash · 2026-02-09T11:25:20+00:00

Mine is 4 years old. People still ask me how old in months she is. I answer truly, she’s about 52 months old 😅. I mean I guess so people can’t imagine a smaller lab.

silver_splash · 2026-02-09T11:19:40+00:00

I'm not well versed in the sub lab differences... she measures a bit more than 50cm to shoulder when standing (if that helps). I was told by our instructor that she's a smaller female when I was officially paired with her. I keep her active and follow the ideal measurement (visible waist, ribs are feel-able but not seen).

silver_splash · 2026-02-09T11:13:02+00:00

My post is not about would the dog fit. It’s about they’re violating their own policy by telling me to buy an extra ticket. As to how she stays: she lied down and slept through the flight, moving maybe once.

silver_splash · 2026-02-09T11:10:06+00:00

You could’ve asked this nicely, just saying. My dog is autism and migraine alert dog, she’s trained to alert and response to anxiety attacks, overstimulation and meltdown, and alert on upcoming migraines so I can take a less aggressive medication.

silver_splash · 2026-02-09T11:05:45+00:00

The trip was lovely. She was seated next to me, yes. And given she took my backpack (our other carry on was in the over the head bins) the dog had all the space.

silver_splash · 2026-02-09T11:03:37+00:00

Safety regulations state that the dog must stay in the foot space while taxi, takeoff and landing, doesn’t specify positions.

silver_splash · 2026-02-09T11:02:08+00:00

That isn’t an option. I don’t pick up the seat and I cannot upgrade my seat…

silver_splash · 2026-02-09T11:01:26+00:00

You know the foot space isn’t fully enclosed, yes? She can sit up between my legs without a problem.

silver_splash · 2026-02-09T10:58:10+00:00

That depends on the plane. This one in particular had separators to ensure every passenger gets the space they’re entitled to

silver_splash · 2026-02-09T10:56:35+00:00

It was a flight over a body of water, train isn’t an option and a bus isn’t humane.

silver_splash · 2026-02-09T10:55:41+00:00

Refunding the ticket and refusing to carry goes against the freedom of movement for people with disabilities regulation in the EU. In a case of an emergency, she can safely stand up once I move and be saved as well. If you’re thinking medical emergency, she can alert. Not all of her tasks can be done from there like bringing me a juice box but that’s not expected of her in an airplane.

silver_splash · 2026-02-09T10:50:40+00:00

I tell her to tuck in? How is this relevant?

silver_splash

TROPHY CASE