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Emotional Support Dogs

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We welcome customers travelling with Emotional Support Dogs (ESD) and ensure a smooth and comfortable journey. We recommend starting this process at the time of booking so we have enough time to review and approve your information and documentation before your scheduled departure. If you are unsure whether your dog will qualify, please contact Flair Accessibility Services before you book your flight(s).

If your ESD request is declined because the information or documentation is incomplete, or because there is not enough time to process it, and you choose not to travel, your cancellation will follow our Cancellation Policy.

 

In this article, you will find information on the following:

 

Qualifying Your Emotional Support Dog (ESD)

Emotional support dogs (ESDs) are not recognized as service dogs under Canadian air transport regulations and do not have the same access rights as service dogs. Flair may, at its discretion, permit an ESD to travel in the cabin on domestic flights as part of our Pet in Cabin policy at no additional charge. This is a courtesy accommodation and is not guaranteed under the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (ATPDR). 

To accept ESDs for travel in cabin, the following conditions must be met:

  1. Proof from a physician or medical health professional who is licensed and in good standing with their governing body, that they are treating the person for a mental health disability, and that the person requires an ESD to accommodate that disability.
  2. A veterinary certificate that:
    • identifies the specific ESD by name and breed;
    • identifies the person with a disability who relies on that dog as an ESD;
    • attests that the ESD is healthy enough to travel; free of any contagious diseases, ticks and fleas; and current on its vaccinations; and
    • states whether the veterinarian has any knowledge of inappropriate behaviour exhibited by the ESD, including aggressive behaviour, excessive whining or barking, or causing injury to others.
    • If the timing for the veterinary certification has not otherwise been prescribed in the jurisdiction of the county, province, state or territory where the person travels to or from, the certificate must be dated within two months prior to the date of initial travel set out in the itinerary. 
  3. The person with a disability must provide us the above documentation tat least 96 hours in advance of travel. If a request is made less than 96 hours in advance, we will make every reasonable effort to transport you and your ESD. However, the Agency strongly encourages all persons with disabilities to provide sufficient advance notice and to provide adequate supporting documentation for yourself and your ESD when you make your request to minimize the risk that you will not receive adequate accommodation.
  4. The ESD must fit comfortably in an appropriate animal carrier that must fit and be kept at the seat—or in the case of air travel, under the seat in front—of the person with a disability for the duration of the trip. The animal carrier must meet the conditions of our Pets in Cabin policy, and the ESD must remain in the carrier for the duration of its time in the passenger cabin.
  5. The person with a disability must demonstrate that your ESD meets all travel, entry or exit requirements of the country, province, state or territory they travel to or from, which includes providing all required documentation, as applicable.

We may refuse transportation to any person with a disability and their ESD if the ESD poses a threat to the health or safety of others by exhibiting aggressive or other inappropriate behaviour, or if the user removes it from its animal carrier during travel.

 

Conditions of Travel

Emotional Support Dogs are allowed only on domestic flights.

  • Your ESD must fit in an approved carrier that fits under the seat in front of the person with the disability, as per Flair’s cabin carrier regulations. 
  • Your ESD must remain inside the carrier for the duration of the flight. 
  • Avoid disruptive behaviours such as: 
    • Barking, growling, or biting 
    • Jumping on people 
    • Urinating or defecating in unapproved areas 
    • Causing significant disruption 
  • Failure to meet these standards may result in denial of boarding or removal from the flight. 
  • You are responsible for ensuring your ESD meets all travel requirements for the destination.

 

Travel Requirements

Make sure you have all the proper documents before you go. At this time we are only permitted to allow ESDs on domestic flights within Canada. 

When you arrive in another country, province, state, territory or region, government veterinary officials may inspect your pet, and inspection fees could apply. 

 A local veterinary health certificate from your vet is essential, but it might not be enough. Some destinations require government-approved health certificates or other documents. To avoid delays, check with the consulate or embassy of your destination well before you travel. 

Flair follows the animal entry and exit requirements in the IATA Travel Information Manual. For more details, visit the IATA Travel Centre website for destination-specific pet requirements. 

 

How to Request an Emotional Support Dog

If you are travelling with an Emotional Support Dog, you will need to email the following to Flair Accessibility Services at accessibility@flyflair.com at least 96 hours before departure:

  • Service/Emotional Support Dog Form
  • Proof from a physician or medical health professional who is licensed and in good standing with their governing body, that they are treating the person for a mental health disability, and that the person requires an ESD to accommodate that disability.
  • A veterinary certificate that:
    • identifies the specific ESD by name and breed;
    • identifies the person with a disability who relies on that dog as an ESD;
    • attests that the ESD is healthy enough to travel; free of any contagious diseases, ticks and fleas; and current on its vaccinations; and
    • states whether the veterinarian has any knowledge of inappropriate behaviour exhibited by the ESD, including aggressive behaviour, excessive whining or barking, or causing injury to others.
    • must be dated within two months of the travel date and include: Dog’s identification and health status; Vaccination records; Behavior assessment.

 

*A customer who wants to travel with an ESD is required to provide us with 96 hours advance notice. 

If a customer with a disability gives advance notice but the information or documents provided are insufficient or the notice period includes a day that is a weekend day or holiday, we may not be able to complete our assessment of your request. In these cases, we may not be able to provide the requested service. For this reason, it is important that customers provide the required documents or information and make every effort to give advance notice that includes two full business days.

 

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