Hi, I’m Wendy Zukerman and this is Science Vs from Gimlet, the show that pits facts against furry friends on your flight.
These days it’s starting to feel like airplanes are going to the dogs[1].[2] …
<<SFX: airplane taking off>>
People with anxiety and depression are bringing their pets on board because they say they need them for emotional support during flights[3] [4]. And it’s happening more and more often. American Airlines says that in 2017, they allowed more than 150 thousand animals for emotional support to fly on their planes, that’s 50,000 more animals than the previous year.[5] Meanwhile the animals people are using for emotional support… are getting quite unconventional…
It’s not just just dog and cats, owners are now getting emotional support from a range of animals.
Pig monkey turkey kangaroo…and now a peacock tried to take flight too. [6]
On one paw you have people saying they need their fur-baby on the plane…
<<Cindy and her an emotional support squirrel Daisy boarded the flight. They told me I get to off the plane, they do not accept rodents. How did you feel without Daisy your squirrel? It was emotional.
On the other paw… these animals are ruff [DOG BARK]-ling a lot of feathers. These dogs… are crapping all over the place and even biting other passengers.[7][8]
<<a lot of people are looking at this situation and saying. What a croc. >>
So on today’s mini episode we’re going to find out… is this a load of croc… or are these animals really helping people out on their flights?
Emotional support animals aren’t like guide dogs - they haven’t been trained for a specific purpose.[9][10] So, to bring one of these animals onto a plane, you basically need to tell the airline that your cat or dog or turkey is helping you with a condition recognized in the DSM, that’s the psychiatrists’ bible. And a lot of people bring their pets on planes, because they say it helps them with things like anxiety or depression[11] [12].
To wade through the research on emotional support animals we called up Hal Herzog at Western Carolina University[13] because he's been studying animals for decades. All kinds of animals.
So I spent a lot of time in swamps knee deep in water calling baby alligators and their moms and you know what a baby alligator sounds like?
WZ That’s exactly what I want to know
HH a baby goes oh oh oh. And that's telling it's momma it's here. And then if you grabbed the baby and start for example pinching its toes and it starts to feel some pain it starts screaming for its mom. Aww AWw Aww. [14][15]
WZ Why would you do that Hal, why would you do that?
HH Well it’s science. What kind of question is that from you of all people?
Hal has moved on from pinching baby alligators and he’s a professor who studies anthrozoology, which is a fancy word for the science of human–animal relations. So right off the bat, Hal told me that when it comes to animals and stress… there IS something here.
HH The evidence that some animals can reduce stress in the short term for some people is actually extremely good.
HH There are a lot of studies that have shown that And there's very good evidence for example petting a dog for many people not everybody but it can reduce blood pressure can reduce heart rate
WZ Really? Just from petting a dog?
HH Yeah very good evidence very good evidence.
For example, one study found that when kids were getting their blood drawn having a dog in the room made them feel less distressed and even made their stress hormones go down.[16] Other studies that have found similar stuff.[17] [18] [19] [20] [21]. Hal has seen the power of pooches first hand. Like there was this therapy dog he saw at Charlotte airport and it had a vest that said “pet me”..
HH I sit there for half an hour. I just watched people walk by this dog. Dog's name was Dylan. the number of people that just bent down and petted that dog for just a couple seconds and talked to it. Maybe kids gave it a hug was just stunning. I played with them too. It sure made me feel a little better.
So dogs can make you feel good..[22] But you know what else can? A blanket. Yeah… researchers at Yale gave kids either a blankie or a dog to play with… and found that both of them made the kids feel less anxious.[23] [24][25]
So this is my answer to the therapy dog problem but that airplanes are dealing with now: blankies
Ok ok… Hal’s kinda joking… after all… this is just one study… in kids who haven’t been diagnosed with a mental health condition… so what about the adults who have? Can pets help them with their anxiety? Well generally speaking - when you look at the research -- there’s actually not a clear answer for whether have a pet will improve your mental health.[26]
HH Some studies find yes, some studies find no…
Some work finds people with pets have higher rates of depression[27]… some find they have lower rates[28]… Which means.... we don't know if having a pet around makes it less likely that you'll be depressed or have other mental health problem.
But maybe … maybe… there’s something about being in a plane…. thousands of feet up in the air … that special pets can help with? We asked Hal about this.
WZ So do you have any evidence that bringing a dog or an alligator or a spider for that matter on a plane can help someone's mental health?
HH I have searched for that evidence and I have found absolutely nothing.[29] It it's really quite shocking.
WZ what do you make of people who say like I need to have my dog on this plane otherwise I'm going to have an anxiety attack?
H: well. What I would say to them is that we don't have evidence that that is the case and until we get evidence that that is the case I'm not sure we should be doing this.
The evidence for emotional support animals seems to be in the dog house. Now that doesn’t mean that everyone who says they feel better having their pet on board is lying, but it does mean we don’t have the studies to back them up.[30]
And there could be something else going on here too. A study of 150 pet owners suggested that being overly attached to your pet might in itself be a sign of mental illness.[31] That is, if someone is so close with their dog they can’t be apart from them, there may be another problem here.[32]
So when it comes to emotional support animals, is it a load of croc?
Ooo Ooo Ooo
Well pretty much. While animals can make us feel good and it can be nice to give them a little pet, the evidence just isn’t there to say that they can help with serious mental health problems. And when it comes to animals helping us specifically on planes… the cat’s out of the bag… there’s no evidence that they can.
So… knowing this whole thing just doesn’t have teeth … how did we get here? With a menagerie on your flight?
Menagerie SFX
Well Hal says… part of it has to do with how easy it’s been to get a pet on a plane when you call it an emotional support animal. Until recently, all you needed was[33]...A couple of hundred bucks[34] and a letter from a licensed mental health professional. And as Hal found out… it didn’t take much to get these letters.
Hal tried to register his cat, Tilly, as an emotional support animal. So he went online and took a test[35].
HH So I took their psychological test to see if I had a form of mental illness and I qualified.
WZ what questions did they ask you?
HH Really difficult questions like ‘Do you ever feel stressed when you have to speak in public?’
WZ: Mmmm
HH: And I said... everybody. And I answered maybe 10 or 15 questions I've got a thing back congratulations. You know you're sufficiently mentally ill that you qualify for an emotional support vest for Tilly.
WZ haha what
So voila! You’ve got your Tilly on your lap during a flight[36]… But a word of warning to animal lovers ... some airlines have announced that they're quacking down on bringing pets on planes. Which means it might get harder for those freeloading felines to get on board..[37] [38] [39] [40] So… maybe… if you’re looking for a bit of comfort on your flight… try a blankie next time. It’ll be much less likely to poo in the aisle.
That’s Science vs Emotional Support Animals.
Next week DNA Tests: Can you trust them?
It’s a really interesting mess but dear god I wish I’d done physics cause it’s so much easier.
This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, with help from me, Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, and Michelle Dang. Our senior producer is Kaitlyn Sawrey. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly and Michelle Dang. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger and Bobby Lord. A huge thanks to all the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Molly Crossman, Dr. Karen Thodberg, Cassie Boness, Dr. Rob Young, and Dr. Helen Louise Brooks. Also thanks to the Zukerman Family, and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.
I’m Wendy Zukerman, fact you next time.
[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2018/01/22/fur-and-fury-at-40000-feet-as-more-people-bring-animals-on-planes/?utm_term=.145a954ae3ba
[3] According to the Department of Transportation (DOT), passengers with a mental health disability can travel with their animal in the main cabin of an airplane if that animal is an “emotional support animal (ESA)”.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5127627/
[4] To fly with an ESA, you need to document that “You have a mental or emotional disability that is recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM);: “You need your emotional support or psychiatric support animal as an accommodation for air travel and/or for activity at your destination” “https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/service-animals-including-emotional-support-animals
[5] https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7xd9kawrwp0d5kw/AADQwIA0LBZPOS5sKlRXgLbHa?dl=0&preview=Comment_from_American_Airlines%2C_Inc+-+July+5+2018.pdf In 2016, American carried 105,155 emotional support animals. In 2017, that number increased by 48 percent to 155,790.
[6] https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7xd9kawrwp0d5kw/AAD7kGVInMQvM0t9IMTkZhEKa/Comment_from_American_Airlines%2C_Inc%20-%20July%205%202018.pdf?dl=0 page 17: With respect to all other species, American Airlines has been asked to carry emotional support birds, an ant colony, a sloth, kangaroos, rabbits, lizards, pigs, crabs, wallabies, and monkeys. [I asked American Airlines media relations if AA let these animals on the planes, and they said “These are animals that have flown on American.”- MH]
[7] https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7xd9kawrwp0d5kw/AAD7kGVInMQvM0t9IMTkZhEKa/Comment_from_American_Airlines%2C_Inc%20-%20July%205%202018.pdf?dl=0American has seen increases in passenger and crew complaints attributed to untrained animals—people have been bitten, licked, jumped on, and growled at; aisles have been blocked; and animals have urinated and defecated on our airplanes.
[8] https://news.delta.com/delta-restricts-emotional-support-animals-flights-over-eight-hours Delta’s updated policy follows an 84 percent increase in reported incidents involving service and support animals 2016-2017, including urination/defecation, biting and even a widely reported attack by a 50-pound dog.
[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5127627/ Under the ADA, the animal is not a SA without individual training. The ADA also limits this definition to dogs only. ...As can be seen from above, ESAs are not the same as SAs; they do not require the training that is necessary to certify an animal as an ADA-compliant SA.
[10] ESAs are also different from PSYCHIATRIC SERVICE ANIMALS https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128012925000237?via%3Dihub This designation, however, has created confusion because it is often assumed that ESA are the equivalent of psychiatric service animals, which is not generally accurate. A psychiatric service animal may also serve as an emotional support but an ESA is not by definition an approved service animal.
[11] https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/service-animals-including-emotional-support-animals they often have to show documentation proving this “Airlines may require documentation that is not older than one year from the date of your scheduled initial flight that states:
You have a mental or emotional disability that is recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)”
[12] For testimonials of why people get ESAs registered, anxiety and depression are the disorders which come up a lot https://www.cptas.com/cgi-bin/testimonials.cgi https://thedogtor.net/
[13] https://www.wcu.edu/learn/departments-schools-colleges/ceap/psydept/psychology-faculty-staff/dr.-harold-herzog.aspx
[14] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19659884 Supported by sonograms in Vergne et al. 2009, Biological Reviews.
[15] Supported by sonograms in Vergne et al. 2009, Biological Reviews. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19659884
[16] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25439114 It appears that the presence of dogs during blood draw procedures reduces distress in children…. Furthermore, cortisol levels were lower in the EG group compared with the CG group.
[17] https://bmccomplementmedtherapies.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12906-017-1844-7 In summary, four out of six studies showed at least
one significant positive effect. Taken together, these findings suggest that particular DAS [dog assisted support] may reduce stress and positively affect the mood.
[18] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11641292 We conclude that ACE inhibitor therapy alone lowers resting blood pressure, whereas increased social support through pet ownership lowers blood pressure response to mental stress.
[19] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2752/175303711X13159027359746 Salivary cortisol, however, was significantly lower in the real dog condition than in the other two conditions (Kruskal-Wallis H test on area under the curve increase (AUCi): 2 =15.17, df = 2, p = 0.001). Also, the more the children stroked the dog, the less pronounced was their stress reaction (rs = –0.818, p = 0.002).
[20] https://spssi.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-4560.2009.01612.x review: Research has shown transient reductions in the heart rate and/or blood pressure of participants exposed to a wide variety of stressors while in the presence of an animal.
[21] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0963721411415220 review: These findings generated a flurry of research
on the positive impact of interacting with companion animals (see review by Wells, 2009a). For example, stroking dogs and cats, watching tropical fish in an aquarium, and even caressing a pet boa constrictor have been reported to reduce blood pressure and stress levels.
[22] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5504801/ see table 4 for good summary - many of the experiments on dog assisted therapy are focused on children or the elderly
[23] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15374416.2018.1520119?journalCode=hcap20 Seventy-eight children (55.1% female, 44.9% male) ages 10 to 13 (M = 12.01, SD = 1.13) completed the Trier Social Stress Test for Children, followed by (a) interaction with a dog, (b) a tactile-stimulation control condition, or (c) a waiting control condition.
[24]https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15374416.2018.1520119?journalCode=hcap20 ..., the difference between
STAI-C scores in the experimental condition and those in the tactile-stimulation control condition (M = 28.72, SE = 0.85) was not significant, p = .065, 95% CI [−0.14,These findings convey that interaction with
the dog did reduce anxiety relative to waiting without intervention but raise questions about whether this anxiolytic effect is specific to interaction with a dog, or whether tactile stimulation from any soothing object might convey a similar benefit
[25] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/psyg.12159 another study finding something similar, using a seal robot instead of a blanket: Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS): We found that visit type did not affect any of the MMSE (F2,91 = 0.35; P > 0.05), GBS (F2,90 = 0.41; P > 0.05), or GDS….However, the GDS score decreased (S = −420; P < 0.05), meaning that depressive symptoms decreased during the experimental period.
[26] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4528099/ There are lots of studies like this about “animal assisted therapy” which isn’t the same thing as “emotional support animals” and the authors note “level of methodological rigor in most studies,” anyway
[27] . https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0963721411415220 Another recent study found that older adults who were highly attached to their dogs tended to be more depressed than individuals who were not as attached to their companion animals (Miltiades & Shearer, 2011). …. A study of 40,000 Swedes found that while pet owners were physically healthier than non–pet owners, they suffered more from psychological problems including anxiety, chronic tiredness, insomnia, and depression (Müllersdorf, Granström, Sahlqvist, & Tillgren, 2010)..... A Finnish study of 21,000 adults reported that pet owners were at increased risk for hypertension, high cholesterol, gastric ulcers, migraine headaches, depression, and panic attacks (Koivusilta & Ojanlatva, 2006).
[28] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11205-010-9690-8 Many studies have reported benefits of pet ownership in relationship to health..., lower feelings of loneliness and depression (Garrity et al. 1989), and a higher psychological and physical well-being of community-dwelling elderly(Raina et al. 1999)
[29] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5127627/ “While some believe a companion animal may produce more positive outcomes (e.g., Le Roux & Kemp, 2009), little empirical data exists to support the conclusion that ESAs are effective in mitigating psychological disorders and related problems, and empirical research that does exist is inconsistent, sparse and emerging (Ensminger & Thomas, 2013). “. [Hal also confirmed that he hasn’t found any studies looking at ESAs directly, though he’s going to a conference soon where they might be presenting something.- MH]
[30] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5127627/ While some believe a companion animal may produce more positive outcomes (e.g., Le Roux & Kemp, 2009), little empirical data exists to support the conclusion that ESAs are effective in mitigating psychological disorders and related problems, and empirical research that does exist is inconsistent, sparse and emerging (Ensminger & Thomas, 2013)
[31] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jclp.20866 Attachment to a companion animal was a significant positive predictor of psychological distress in https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jclp.20866the form of depression, anxiety, and somatoform symptoms…
[32] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2752/175303710X12627079939143 among pet owners with low levels of human social support, high attachment to pets predicted significantly higher scores on loneliness and depression….
[33] "Until recently, all you needed was..." The airline crackdown means that some companies now require a vet's letter and liability paperwork, too. See for example: https://customersupport.spirit.com/hc/en-us/articles/202096816-Can-I-bring-my-service-emotional-support-or-psychiatric-service-animal-on-my-flight-/
[35] https://esadoctors.com/esa-questionnaire/ [I started doing this… asked questions like “During the past six months have frequently felt worried about big or small events in your life?” and if my worrying interferes with things like “caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working.”- MH]
[37] https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/11/delta-bans-support-animals-from-long-flights--and-no-puppies.html
[38] https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2019/01/03/emotional-support-animals-united-tightens-rules/2472782002/