My Task-Trained Service Dog Didn’t Accompany Me on My International Honeymoon - Here’s Why
It’s no secret that Leo goes everywhere with me, including when I fly. I can’t even count how many times he has flown with me. It feels like second nature when I fly, to prepare for him to come with me.
My husband and I got married in October 2023 and we planned for our honeymoon in February 2024. If you were to ask us both what our dream honeymoon destination is, our answers couldn’t be more opposite. For me, it’s always been Iceland - no questions asked. For him, it’s always been Italy - no questions asked. The solution instead, was to go to both places.
We planned for just that. But of course, the biggest question was, does Leo come with us? I’ve had Leo since 2019. I can count on one hand how many times I have left my home without him, 2 of them being for concerts (which I do not take him to). Nearly every single time I have left my house without him, I have had to be intoxicated in order to manage.
Obviously the answer I wanted was yes, but laws and regulations said otherwise. So it came down to - can I spend more than 2 weeks away from the one thing on this planet who is able to alert me to an oncoming panic attack? Can I handle the crowds, the stress, the smells (my biggest panic attack trigger), the change, without him? I wanted so badly to see Iceland again, this time with my husband, and I wanted to badly to see Italy - a place I had yet to see. It was a matter of whether or not I was willing to give it a shot without Leo. Now, you’re probably asking yourself why I couldn’t just take Leo with me. Here’s why -
The Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST), dealing with the importation of animals to Iceland, requires that all importers of animals apply for an import permit for any and all dogs, including assistance dogs, and that they be required to quarantine for a minimum of 2 weeks upon arrival. MAST discloses that the travel process to Iceland with an assistance dog can take up to several months, and they recommend being prepared for. The only exception to the importing regulations is for certain European countries, none of which obviously include the United States.
None of this includes the laws in Iceland regarding whether or not Leo would even be allowed with me in public once we arrived and made it through customs.
Our budget did not include or allow for a stay at an approved quarantine facility for a 2 week quarantine, plus 1 week in Iceland and 1 week in Italy. The options were either attempt to take Leo and take our chances, or don’t bring him.
Italy thankfully has much more reasonable requirements of individuals traveling with assistance dogs from another country. However, it I wanted to see Iceland, I had to make the sacrifice. My husband and I had many conversations about all of this, and I spoke with countless people who know me well regarding their opinion. Obviously I wanted nothing more than to have him with me. But it really just wasn’t practical. My husband and I are very close with his aunts who live here in the Phoenix area, and they graciously agreed to watch Leo and his brother, Dash, during our trip. The conclusion was that we would go, and I would manage by utilizing my husband, my medication, and the coping mechanisms I learned in many years of therapy.
Hypothetically speaking, even if we did attempt to bring Leo, and we were successful with all the regulations in order to enter Iceland, the laws allowing service dogs in public are COMPLETELY different from the United States.
This entire situation made me so incredibly thankful for how inclusive the US is (despite what you believe) and how specific the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA) is when it comes to laying out the law.
During my research, here’s what I found:
Information provided by MAST regarding assistance animals allowed in public in Iceland only specifies assistance dogs to be defined by the following: dogs trained to assist with blindness, deaf/hard of hearing, mobility, epilepsy, and diabetes. Their information consistently cites “certified service/assistance dogs.” In learning everything I know regarding service dog certifications, it is that the United States is one of the few countries that does not recognize certifications as a legitimate form of verification, and information on the ADA’s website makes that very clear. I have researched the laws in many countries including Poland, England, Ireland, Iceland, Canada, and Italy. All of which cite “certified service dogs.” Here’s why that’s a problem -
Assistance Dogs International is an internationally accredited coalition of non-profit programs that train and place assistance dogs with disabled individuals. When you think service dog programs, many of those are accredited with ADI. ADI is extremely helpful, beneficial, and has extremely high standards in order for a program to become an accredited member. My dream is to someday receive an assistance dog from an ADI accredited facility. HOWEVER, the only issue I see that ADI causes, is that many countries only recognize and accept assistance dogs if they are ADI accredited. In some countries and many instances, ADI accredited also translates to “certified service dogs” as they typically come with a form of identification which is NOT a certification in the US.
The biggest obstacle in other countries is the concept of certified service dogs.
To add to the confusion, many counties do not specify what a certified service dog means. Many countries, including Iceland, require a service dog certification number as part of the requirement to enter their country. Leo does not have this. US federal law does not require me to have it for him, but that only applies in the US. This would mean I would have to go through the process of getting him certified in the country I wish to visit, something that can be a process of months long, and sometimes impossible if I don’t live there. I’ve spent hours doing research on the countries I listed, and none of them are specific when it comes to what a certified service dog means, how to obtain it as someone who is only just visiting, and how to and where to obtain information for someone who is not a citizen of the country they are visiting (outside of the US embassy).
It’s unclear whether Italy recognizes assistance dogs in public outside of guide dogs, which are the most commonly known to most people.
Leo would have loved Iceland; lots of hiking, snow, water, cold, etc. He is me in dog form. I happened to manage in Iceland fairly well. Very few crowds, crowded or tight places, everything is outside so there are minimal smells. But Italy was a whole different story. Mind you, we went during the “off season.” There was more people than I’ve ever seen in a European city even during the high season. I would have hated having Leo with me based on my previous experience in large and all-consuming crowds of people. I had a very difficult time, with countless episodes and panic attacks in Italy.
On top of that, I also suffer from some physical conditions that he provides what’s called “counter balance” (mostly up stairs) that is a minimal form of mobility assistance and not my main disabling condition. Anyone who has been to Rome, knows what I’m talking about when I say that it’s an insane amount of hills, inclines, and uneven surfaces. I have seen many European cities full of history. Some of this history includes disabled individuals being murdered for even being disabled.
Walking around Rome for several days made me realize how THANKFUL I am for how inclusive the US is, the accommodations the ADA requires business to provide (likely things you never would think of as an able-bodied person), and how accessible things are in the US. There were times I had to use my husband as my own personal form of a cane going up and down stairs and inclines, because of the limited mobility I sometimes have and didn’t have Leo to help with.
Despite the flaws the US has for disability inclusion, the flaws found in the ADA, and the hate that able-bodied individuals give those of us with disabilities and service dogs, I left this trip in Europe feeling so incredibly grateful for the level of inclusion and rights I have here in the US. I have a federal law here that protects me in public places with Leo that has specific language and requirements that don’t result in grey areas like many laws in other countries.
I’m not sure if I’ll ever travel internationally with Leo other than to Canada (which has similar laws) knowing what the international laws are currently. He wasn’t trained by an ADI accredited facility, so it will be difficult to travel to most countries with him with the current laws. But if anything, traveling while having a service dog and not getting to bring him with me due to those laws has lit a fire in my ass to figure out how we can work on making laws for other countries universal and inclusive for those of us traveling internationally with assistance dogs from countries that don’t have the same federal requirements.
If I’ve learned anything from this trip outside the US without Leo, it’s that I am incredibly thankful for disability laws in the US and that history in many countries was not inclusive. History was not inclusive of those with disabilities, special needs, special requirements, and those who would later require the assistance of service dogs. Disability laws in many countries have more grey areas than I can count. They are vague, confusing, and unclear.
Historical areas and monuments were not meant to include those of us with disabilities. But if anything from the federal laws in the US regarding disabilities has taught us anything, it’s that many of these places can be made accessible and readily available to those of us with disabilities.
While the ADA in the US is at times confusing, despite how many times I read it - it’s precise and clear when it comes to my rights in having a service dog. My hope is that someday I get to be part of the international change that needs to be had in many countries to include people like me.
It’s worth adding before you are finished reading, that Quinn and I had the time of our lives and had the most picture perfect honeymoon you could possibly imagine. We still can’t believe we are married after all of this.
For those thinking that I’m not disabled because my service dog didn’t come with me, it’s worth noting that my disabling condition was not managed or well managed during my time away from him. Spending time away from your service dog does not mean you are less disabled or not disabled at all. I still need Leo in order to function despite time away from him.
If you or someone you know needs support right now, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, or text START to 741-741
Articles referenced:
MAST Iceland
