Came across the below. That would have been worth missing a flight for http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44292506
Come on BBC, that's clearly a Golden Retriever! It is realistic of the owners to say that they thought she wasn't due yet, or can dogs give birth early just like humans?
I assume the sire lives in the same home as the dam. So the humans might think they know when she was covered, but it’s possible he got in earlier without them noticing. In any event, gestation periods aren’t exact so she certainly could have given birth earlier than expected but they must still have known they were cutting it fine. When the puppies start moving, it’s pretty obvious and you know there’s not much time left to go after that.
And there is the whole thing about service dogs not being spayed. I'm not the expert but pretty sure it would never happen in the UK.
Can't anyone can declare their dog a "service dog" and it doesn't have to come through any particular organisation? Lots of service dogs are "just" support dogs that help with small tasks around the house, or have started as family pets and then been trained further to be emotional support or medical detection dogs for things like diabetes, epilepsy etc. There wouldn't be any organisation to demand that the dogs were neutered and nor should they. It's different with Guide Dogs, as the dogs are the property of the Association, I believe.
I don’t think US service dogs are anything like as regulated as U.K. dogs. A UK Guide Dog Brood Bitch would never be travelling when pups are due, unless she was going to the Breeding Centre for check ups/scans etc - and that’s never more than half an hour by car. And working dogs are never the same dogs as Brood Bitches, all are spayed after their first season. Exciting for the airport staff but I feel sorry for the dog .
There is currently no regulation on what you can call a service dog in the US. An emotional support dog is classified differently from a service dog, hearing dog or guide dog and doesn't have as many access rights. However, in the public mind, they all get kind of rolled up into one thing these days. I did mobility service dog certification with Brogan through ADI (Assistance Dogs International) because I wanted him to be recognised in Europe...also I wanted him (and me) to be properly trained and tested. But it certainly wasn't required. We actually flew to do his certification (meaning he flew as a service dog before he was certified as one) and that was completely legal as I had the correct medical paperwork. I don't know of course anything about the dog in the cute story, but it is quite easy to simply buy a service dog vest, patches and ID online. It's not illegal at all and there's quite a market for makers of such items. The only thing required is a letter from your doctor that you require a service dog as the US also does not have official disabled identification as most countries in Europe do. In the US, such ID is considered discriminatory. I have a feeling this will change as unfortunately the (hopefully) few people who abuse the system have been getting a lot of bad press - poorly trained/socialized service dogs misbehaving on flights for example. But I really hope that people like me will still be able to own, train and certify their own dogs by attending accredited service dog schools. It's a wonderful alternative option that fills a different need than programs like Guide Dogs.
I said the same thing immediately! Yes, the media has been filled with crazy stories recently of various support animals trying to get on flights, including a peacock and a hamster. I think the regulations for both service and support animals will get tighter in the very near future in the US and Canada.
