I became interested in fake "emotional support" animals after watching a dog with an "emotional support" collar obviously obtained through the Internet harass customers in a local restaurant.
Iowans who train real service dogs assured me that there is a very real problem and I also talked to a landlord who said potential tenants in Iowa are using fake emotional support designations to get around "no pets" restrictions in their rental contracts.
Although the stories of emotional support peacocks and hamsters are funny, the issue has taken a serious turn.
A Washington state mother is suing after her daughter was mauled by an emotional support pet at an Oregon airport.
Gabriella Gonzalez, then 5-years-old, was at Portland International Airport in December 2017 when she was attacked. Her family was waiting by the gate to board a plane home and her mom and an older sister went to a coffee shop while Gabriella and her older brother waited.
Michelle Brannan was with her emotional support dog, a pitbull, and the young girl asked to pet it. Brannan said yes, the girl touched the dog, and it bit her. The injuries included a punctured eyelid, severed tear duct, a severe lip tear, and gashes on her face. The little girl now has visible scars after several surgeries.
The girl’s mother is now suing the Port of Portland, Brannan, and Alaska Airlines for 1.1 million dollars. The suit claims Brannan should have known that her dog had “vicious propensities,” and says the airline is at fault for allegedly allowing Brannan to bring a dangerous dog into the gate waiting area, where the attack happened, when the dog wasn’t a trained service animal and wasn’t properly confined.
The Port of Portland requires no documentation about the dog’s certification or any training. Alaska Airlines doesn’t require emotional support pets be placed in a carrier.
The little girl now has visible scars after several surgeries.