How to Travel With a Service Dog

A service dog is a dog who assists its owner who is disabled in some way. Service dogs are medical assistant aides and they are allowed anywhere their owner goes, even when they want to travel. Airlines and other public transportation are required by law to allow service animals to accompany their owners. No one is allowed to ask the owner what their disability is.

Instructions

1

Set limitations on your dog. A service dog is a working dog and should not be touched, talked to, fed or distracted in any way by anyone other than his owner, so be sure to set these limitations on other passengers when you travel.

2

Know your rights. A service dog can accompany his owner anywhere. A business owner cannot deny the service dog's entry even if there is a 'no dogs allowed' sign displayed. The only two questions a business can ask the service dog's owner is: "Are you disabled?" and "Is that an assistant or service dog?" Both questions must be answered in the affirmative.

3

Travel by air with your service dog. Allowing a service dog aboard any airline is guaranteed by law. The service dog usually wears a harness identifying him as a service dog. The airlines, or anyone else, does not have the right to know or ask what disability an individual with a service dog has.

4

Sit wherever you wish with your four-legged aide when you travel. The owner and her service dog have the right to sit in any seat she wishes. The only exception to this rule is the emergency exit row seating. It is required by the Federal Aviation Association (FAA) that "Only persons who can perform a series of functions necessary in an emergency evacuation" sit in these seats.

5

Realize a service dog is not required to have a health certificate when you travel with them. They also are not required to have certification, tags, or ID cards as proof that they're a service dog.