Delta has unveiled new, tighter regulations on passengers flying with emotional-support animals.
Delta says they carry about 700 support animals every day and they are becoming a bigger problem. Some animals have been reported to walk the cabin, defecate and even bite passengers.
Starting March 1, you will need documentation confirming safety and the need for support animals 48 hours before departure.
However, Delta Airlines is not the only company having this problem because so is Sacramento’s Regional Transit.
They are having trouble distinguishing what is a true service animal or a pet.
Back in November a service dog was bit by another dog on a bus, which sparked Regional Transit to look at their policy on animals riding public transit.
Regional Transit spokesperson Wendy Williams says pets are not allowed on the bus, but bus drivers have a hard time enforcing the rule.
"People will come on and say this is their service animal and we are not allowed to ask for credentials and that’s where it gets fuzzy," said Williams.
The American Disability Act protects the privacy of disabled people, but Williams says the law does allow businesses to verbally ask about the dogs training.
"We can ask if the dog is needed for a disability and what task the dog is trained to provide?" said Williams.
Those questions may result in vague or debatable answers, but RT can't investigate the rider’s disabilities. That’s why RT's Mobility advisory council is working with the service and therapy dog community to come up with other solutions.
For now, RT will have to rely on the honor system. They will ask what a rider's animal is trained to do, and if riders can provide an answer then the animal will be allowed on the bus.
But if the rider can't explain the animals training then it’s not getting a seat.