Delta Further Restricts Emotional Support Animal Policy, Forbids 'Pit Bull Type' Dogs
Just five months after outlining its new service animal policy, Delta is further restricting what animals it will allow on its aircraft and how many each passenger can bring.
On Wednesday, Delta issued a statement on its site, declaring that it'll "further enhance its restrictions." Beginning July 10, 2018, Delta will limit one emotional support animal per customer per flight. In addition, as of the same date, Delta will no longer accept "pit bull type" dogs as service or support animals.
"These updates, which come as the peak summer travel season is underway, are the direct result of growing safety concerns following recent incidents in which several employees were bitten," Delta said in the statement.
TPG reached out to Delta for clarification on what type(s) of dogs will not be allowed on board with regard to the "pit bull type" dog language. However, we did not hear back by time of publication.
In January, Delta was the first of the major US airlines to announce new restrictions for service animals. As of March 1, the carrier began requiring that all passengers traveling with a support or service animal must provide additional documents, as well as proof of its training and vaccinations. Following Delta's announcement, major US airlines had also adjusted their policies — Alaska, American, JetBlue and United.
In Wednesday's announcement, Delta attributed the changes to an 84% increase in reported incidents involving service and support animals since 2016. The reported incidents range from biting to urination/defecation issues. If you're going to travel with an emotional support animal, check out this guide for how to best do it.
