Pets on the ships

[MisterOJ]

This time last week, I was on the Magic...

Anyway, most mornings I went up to Deck 9, got a cup (or two) of coffee and then went back down to Deck 4 to drink it and read. Well, every morning there was a lady that would use the track to walk her dog. I was shocked that DCL allows pets on board. And this wasn't a service dog. Just a little terrier of some sort.

Have they always allowed this? And do they only allow pets in certain cabins?

 

[ThePhantomsGirl]

Not all reasons for a service animal are readily apparent. Service animals can be different sizes and breeds.

 

[MisterOJ]

Not all reasons for a service animal are readily apparent. Service animals can be different sizes and breeds.

Really? This really seemed like a pet. An 8-10 pound terrier in a sweater? And the lady walking the dog was not disabled. Maybe someone else in her party was. But I really don't see how a little terrier could be considered a service animal.

 

[princesslvr]

I have seen seizure dogs that were the small lap dog type, maybe it was one of those?

 

[mom2brooke76]

Working for veterinarians most of my life, I saw all sorts of therapy animals in all shapes and sizes. You'll see a lot more dogs that work as hearing or seizure dogs, and normally you will never be able to tell that anything is wrong with the person

 

[ThePhantomsGirl]

Small dogs can and ARE often used as service animals. Again, not all disabilities are visually noticeable! As an example, some dogs are trained to sense impending epileptic attacks. How would that be visible? Hearing dogs can be any size.

The list can go on as to what functions a service animal provides. The thing is most people associate service animals with only the blind and think of the bigger animals. There are many "disabilities" as well as there are many kinds and sizes of service animals.

 

[ArielRae]

I know some dogs can sense a difference in an owners body. For example dogs can sense a sesiure coming on and can warn their owner to sit and stop doing something before it starts. This doesn't need to be a big dog. So the small dog may have been for something like this and the owner would show no signs of disability until they had a sesiure.

 

[ArielRae]

Funny in the last couple of minutes we all post about the samething.

 

[toddlerhouse]

And I recently learned there are service animals who can detect low blood sugars in diabetics.

 

[fredgirls]

I have met some wonderful assistance dogs in all sizes

That being said the post also asks about whether there are certain cabins for these special companions?

Although they are very important for many people, there are also no doubt many people with extreme pet hair allergies, so this is also a very valid question.
Anyone know the answer?

 

[kcashner]

DCL permits service dogs to sail, but not pets. There are many legit service animals of all shapes and sizes. There is also a growing problem with people having their pets "certified" as service animals; there was an article about this about a month ago in the Orlando Sentinel.

The allergy issue was discussed on these boards a few weeks ago. As far as anyone knows, there are not cabins reserved for people with service animals.

 

[Zandy595]

There are many different types of service dogs and they're not all large breeds. You wouldn't be able to tell if the woman needed a service dog for a hidden disability, like bi-polar disorder, depression, life threatening food allergies, and epilepsy; just to name a few. It's common for these animals to be small breeds.

There was a thread not too long ago about a woman wanting to bring her pet onboard, but it's very clear in DCL's rules that regular non-service animals are not allowed.

 

[annmorr]

I am also curious as to whether a dog doing that kind of service is also sleeping in the bed with the person requiring assistance? And how thorough a cleaning is done to the cabin when they disembark? I am all in favor of that service animal being on board, but I do want to know that the cabin, and especially the bed are flea and hair free when I move into that cabin after them!

 

[MisterOJ]

I suppose it was a service dog then. I really didn't know there was anything other than seeing eye dogs.

Do people normally take these dogs with them everywhere? One of the reasons I assumed it was a pet was because I saw it out on Deck 4 every morning, but never ran into the dog once anywhere else on the ship. I know it's a big place and there are a lot of people, but I would have thought I'd run into the dog somewhere else. He was certainly easy to pick out in the crowd of people.

Also, and this is just me, but if I needed a service dog and was taking him/her on a ship like that, I wouldn't put him/her in a cutesy little sweater. It wasn't cold, so it wasn't needed. And the sweater really just made it look like it was some regular pet that had been brought aboard.

 

[TDC Nala]

Pets are not permitted on the ships. I'd guess any animal you see onboard has been brought aboard as either a service or emotional support animal. They do not always have licenses or wear vests. Besides the whole emotional support animal thing, small dogs can be trained to anticipate seizures or other medical conditions in their human companions, or to "hear" for those who can't. And there are people who put small support dogs in cutesy sweaters - lots of them. I've read about people who push them around in a stroller.

There is also a growing problem with people having their pets "certified" as service animals

This does appear to be happening somewhat more often, as some have learned it is a guaranteed way to have their pet accompany them on vacation.

 

[iloverags2]

Also, and this is just me, but if I needed a service dog and was taking him/her on a ship like that, I wouldn't put him/her in a cutesy little sweater. It wasn't cold, so it wasn't needed. And the sweater really just made it look like it was some regular pet that had been brought aboard.

I am hard of hearing, almost to the point of being deaf (complete hearing loss in one ear and I have roughly 35% hearing in the other). While I do not have a service dog as of yet (since I was born with a hearing problem, I pretty much have learned to acclimate myself with it!), it is something I have considered as my hearing gets worse. If I do go that route, it wouldn't stop me from putting a sweater or some other cute little thing on a service dog. My current dog, who is our oldest pet, doesn't like those things...but if a new member of our family did, it wouldn't stop me from dressing him/her up.

 

[summerrluvv]

If they are going to allow animals, regardless of the need, I hope they are cleaning those cabins thoroughly. I would be really mad if I paid $$$$$ for a cruise and someone in my family had an allergic reaction because there was a pet in the room before me.

 

[CandyMandy]

There is also a growing problem with people having their pets "certified" as service animals.

Bingo:

A woman whose certified service animal is a miniature horse. There has been situations where people with these have insisted on bringing them on airplanes, which in involved removing other booked passengers from flights to make room for the horse.

And here's an interesting review of the policy in San Francisco for getting your pet certified as a service animal:

"Tita was one of 500 animals to receive service dog tags in San Francisco last year from Animal Care and Control. Without ever laying eyes on the creature in question, Animal Control staff is legally mandated to grant the service tags to anyone who brings in a note on the letterhead of a doctor or therapist and then signs an affidavit stating he or she is not committing fraud. The doctors or therapists are not contacted, and Animal Control staff is not permitted to make decisions based upon the content of the note."

So I lived there, I all have to do to get my Saint Bernard certified so I can bring him on my next DCL trip is find a friend who is wiling to play the role of "therapist"

Piece of cake......

 

[bluenosemickey]

Aside from rare extreme allergies to pet hair, dander and saliva, the majority of the population is under more threat from Human contamination than from another species. Our own species is our biggest threat.

Keep things into perspective, we live in a world flooded with contaminants. You can't live in a bubble, it's not healthy to be too sterile. All those chemicals we expose ourselves to just to keep things unreasonably clean isn't healthy.

So remember to wash your hands often, keep things out of your mouth that isn't food, and stay home if you're sick for every bodies sake. Stop worrying so much about a dog in the room before you, running bleach over every surface in a room before you use it, never letting your bare feet touch the carpet and for the Love of God, stop putting the remote control in a plastic bag!!!

Sorry for the rant... Kind of got carried away there...

BTW... I work in a hospital in medical research, I work with animals and
humans.

 

[Jynohn]

My husband is a combat veteran who suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. We are getting a puppy this summer who we will be training as a service dog for him. We have Great Danes at home, but are getting a smaller breed so that the dog will be able to accompany him in crowds, where DH has a lot of difficulty due to the PTSD. While people certifying their dogs as "service animals" just to be able to bring them out with them is probably an issue, I would rather err on the side of caution. Not all disabilities are visible.