9A: Testing Hypothesis Part 2

In order to conduct helpful interviews I went to two different malls looking for people in public with a service animal or just any random person that was willing to talk for a few minutes so the information was not bias. My original hypothesis was: Airlines in the United States struggle to realize if a person is in need of having a service animal with them at all times in relation to that person's disability, emotional stability, or psychiatric reason. Now I will summarize my findings from the five interviews I conducted separated by who, what, and why criteria.

Who: A woman I spoke to that did not have a service animal, but was quite educated in service animals and their purpose, I would consider to be out of the boundary. She was actually a business owner who created an arts and crafts store. She said she sees service animals coming into her store at least every other week on average. I consider her as outside the boundary because she claims to have no problem with customers in her store with animals. Whether they are service animals or not she doesn't mind because she has never had a problem and there isn't any food or carpets in her store that most people don't like dogs around in public. I also spoke to a young woman with a service dog. Without asking her the reason why she had a service animal she claimed she has never been questioned with her service dog. As long as he had a vest on everything was fine with public places, include airplanes, grocery stores, and restaurants. I would also consider he to be out of the boundary since she has never been questioned or struggled in public.

What: I see the need differing depending on the person with the service animal. A man I spoke to said he thinks it is quite obvious when a dog is trained to be service or if the owner simply put a vest on the dog just for a reason to bring him/her in public places. Therefore, the struggle that airports go through depend on the person. They may not have to question every single person that walks on a plane with a service animal. Instead by observing the animal before boarding the plane it should be obvious to tell if the animal is trained properly or disrupting the surroundings.

Why: Based on the interviews I believe the outsider and insider needs are very close. While the need is more common for insiders, it is still present for both. This need is simply determining if an animal is trained to service an owner or if the owner is playing the system calling their animal service when it really is not.

INSIDE THE BOUNDARY                            OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARY
Airlines, restaurants, grocery stores, etc.         Public locations that don't mind animals (service or not)
Identify a true service animal                           Monitoring disruption of service animals
Keep the environment respectful and clean     Making other customers comfortable