Southwest Airlines has decided to ban emotional support animals, with the exception of trained dogs, from flights starting March 1st.
"With this revision, Southwest Airlines will only allow service dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability to travel with the Customer...The types of disability include a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability and only dogs will be accepted (including those for psychiatric service) - no other species will be accepted as a trained service animal."
This decision follows one made by one made last month by the US Department of Transportation to revise the Air Carrier Access Act regulation on the transportation of service animals.
Southwest says that anyone with a trained service dog must present a completed Service Animal Air Transportation Form and give details on the animal's health, behavior and training.