FAQs

Yes! Service and Psychiatric Service dogs are allowed to fly in the cabin of an aircraft with their handlers for no additional charge. An additional form is now required by the Department of Transportation. The form is found on the airlines websites, and we are happy to email you one as well. Here is some more information:

A licensed mental health professional (LMHP) can prescribe an assistance animal such as a psychiatric service dog as part of an individual’s treatment plan.

The ADA gives disabled persons, including those with a mental health disability, the right to be accompanied by a psychiatric service animal in public spaces. The service dog must be well behaved, stay on the floor or in a harness, and cannot override public health rules (such as entering a public swimming pool). Religious institutions are exempt from the ADA and are not required to permit access to service dogs.

Psychiatric service dogs assist their owner by performing tasks that can help alleviate the individual’s stress, anxiety, depression, and/or other symptoms. From retrieving medication and assisting with emotional regulation to conducting room searches or serving as a buffer in overwhelming situations or crowded spaces, PSDs can be individually trained to perform several tasks for their handler’s unique needs.

A PSD assists their owner by performing tasks that can help alleviate the symptoms or effects of an individual’s diagnosed disability. Some of these common disabilities are anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD), and Autism. The tasks that a PSD may perform range from retrieving medication and assisting with emotional regulation to conducting room searches and serving as a buffer in overwhelming situations or crowded spaces, PSDs may be individually trained, by their owners or third party trainers, to perform tasks for their handler’s unique needs. Psychiatric Service dogs are often recommended to individuals whose diagnoses are not obvious to others. Therefore, there are two screening questions that you may be asked. (1) Is the animal required because of a disability / is the animal trained to perform a task? (2) What task has the animal been trained to perform? The animal’s handler may never be asked about their diagnosis or asked to have the animal perform the task.