TEMPLE, Texas — Isabella Carruth trains service dogs in Temple and was excited to bring her own service dog Dante to Honduras to help a client.
She booked a flight in June and arrived on July 9, but days before she was supposed to depart back to the United States, she received an email from United Airlines that service dogs would not be allowed back into the U.S. if they were flying from high risk rabies countries -- a list Honduras is on.
The CDC put this guideline in place on July 14, but Carruth said she was not made aware of the it when she booked the flight. While the CDC said that the alert was reported on June 14, Carruth said the information wasn't made readily available on flight booking pages.
Carruth has to attain a permit from the CDC, which she has tried to do over the last few days. She was told that it can take anywhere from 30 days to six weeks. If she is denied, her service dog will not be allowed to travel back to the U.S.
“We were told that somebody falsified papers," she said. "Instead of punishing that one person they just cut everything off. And I even said, I will stay in a quarantine with my dog for 16 days, whatever it takes.”
On Sunday, she took her boyfriend to the airport and explained her situation to employees. They told her if she received a negative COVID-19 test, she could board the flight. After getting through security, she was stopped and told she needed the permit.
“A service dog is not like a pet dog, you know you just don't go and get one, I've spent hundreds and hundreds of hours working with and training him specifically.”
United Airlines responded to a request from 6 News and said the info was posted on their site. Carruth said it was not readily available. The airline side it would reach out to see if they could assist Carruth.
Our media request to the CDC was not immediately answered Sunday.
Carruth said there are medications in the U.S. that she needs, but will not leave Dante alone.