Hello
For your information below to read :):
Dear members and colleagues,
I am writing to provide you with an update on a new service dog policy that has
been introduced by Qantas airlines. This policy requires service dogs
(including Guide and Seeing Eye Dogs) to be shown to meet specific measurement
requirements before being granted permission to travel.
Several individuals have already contacted Blind Citizens Australia to note
their concerns about this new policy. In response to these concerns, we have
undertaken further investigation in order to try and understand the specific
details of the policy and the rationale behind it.
Last week, we had a lengthy conversation about this issue with Guide Dogs
Australia's Principle Policy Advisor, Jaci Armstrong. Below is a more detailed
outline of the policy, based on our conversation with Jaci:
Background
· The Disability Discrimination Act is very vague in its definition of an
assistance animal. Over the past few years, there has been an increase in the
use of emotional assistance animals and animals that have been trained for
other purposes. As a result, there have been a significant number of people
presenting with animals that cannot practically travel in the space available
on board an aircraft.
· The Disability Discrimination Act refers to a regulation for assistance
animals that was never actually written. In the absence of such a regulation,
Qantas has identified a need to put restrictions in place to ensure a dog can
be safely and comfortably accommodated when flying.
· The new policy appears to be aimed at targeting larger dog breeds presenting
for travel. It is not aimed at targeting breeds like Labradors and golden
retrievers; which are the breeds that are still most commonly used as dog
guides in Australia.
Requirement for dog to be restrained using a body tether
· Qantas has identified that dogs will sometimes move around and in some cases,
become airborne during turbulence. We are aware of at least one situation where
a dog guide has become airborne, hit the roof of the plane and has ended up
breaking three ribs as a result.
· To address this problem, Qantas is introducing a requirement for dogs to be
restrained using a body tether when flying so they are not at risk of becoming
airborne during turbulence.
Requirement for dogs not to exceed a specified weight
· The maximum weight for a dog travelling on board a Qantas flight has been set
at 45kg.
· The maximum weight relates partly to the introduction of the new requirement
for dogs to be restrained using a body tether when flying. The tethers Qantas
will be using cannot accommodate a dog that weighs any more than 45kg.
· Guide Dogs Australia has advised that the dogs they place should never exceed
45 KG and, if they do exceed 45KG this would be related to the dog being
overweight.
Requirement for dogs not to exceed a specified length
· Qantas has introduced a maximum length for dogs travelling on Qantas flights
to ensure there will be sufficient space available for the dog to lie down
safely and comfortably on board the aircraft.
· The maximum length/s specified by Qantas have been calculated according to
the amount of space that is available when a passenger is allocated with two
seats. If a dog exceeded the set length requirement, the passenger would need
to be given a third seat. While Qantas' policy has always been to allocate a
second seat to passengers travelling with a dog guide without any additional
charge, it would not be reasonable to expect them to provide a third.
· Length requirements may vary depending on the size of the aircraft, but the
general maximum length for a service dog travelling on board a Qantas flight is
129 cm.
· Guide Dogs Australia has undertaken a survey to determine the length of dogs
that are typically placed with handlers. They have since concluded that it
would be highly unusual for a dog to exceed the maximum length that has been
set by Qantas.
Blind Citizens Australia's assessment of the new policy
· It is extremely unlikely that the new specifications introduced by Qantas
will impact upon current handlers. Handlers who have trained their own dog
guides and who have chosen larger breeds, however, may potentially be affected
by these changes.
· The measures introduced by Qantas have been well-researched and are aimed at
maximising the safety of animals travelling on board Qantas flights. We do not
believe the provisions of the new policy amount to discrimination.
· While we do not believe the new requirements introduced by Qantas are
discriminatory, we are very mindful that these changes will be alarming for
some Qantas passengers. Our primary concern relates to how this policy will be
implemented, and we will do everything within our power to make sure the
process for booking a service dog on board a Qantas flight is as easy and
stress-free as possible.
Next steps
· Guide Dogs Australia has drafted a communique to current handlers to explain
how the organisation intends to deal with these changes.
· We will be contacting Seeing Eye Dogs Australia in the coming weeks to
determine how they intend to respond to these new changes.
· There will be an interview about the new Qantas policy on an upcoming edition
of our weekly radio program, New Horizons.
· We will continue to follow up with Qantas to obtain further information about
the process for registering a service dog for travel, and will advocate for
changes where needed.
· We will include an updated outline of the new policy and its implications for
current and future handlers in the December edition of our twice-yearly
newsletter, Blind Citizens News.
If you have any immediate concerns about the application of this new policy,
please contact your dog guide school in the first instance. If you are not
satisfied with their response, please feel free to contact the team at Blind
Citizens Australia.
Kindest regards,
Lauren Henley
Policy and Advocacy Coordinator
Blind Citizens Australia
Level 3, Ross House
247-251 Flinders Lane
Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: 03 9654 1400
Fax: 03 9650 3200
Toll free:1800 033 660
Email: lauren.henley@xxxxxxxxxx
Web: www.bca.org.au
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BlindCitizensAustralia
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