What is it?! I’ve heard of a mini horse ESA on a plane… they kinda freak me out 
Anything with feathers. Remember those stories about people trying to get their emotional support peacocks on board a plane? I’d jump out of the window, no matter what the altitude was.
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Do they have to be live or do feathers in costume seem creepy too?
No live but real. For example, a synthetic feather boa is no problem. But a real feather from a bird… arrgh!
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Very interesting. …
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When I was about sixteen my mother sat me down with a half bottle of whiskey and told me to watch the Hitchcock film. It didn’t cure me of the bird phobia but it gave me an excellent taste for whiskey. 
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You beat me to it. I was going to ask you just that, whether you had watched “The Birds” when you were a kid and that instilled the phobia. But it was supposed to be the cure, haha.
Only with the aid of some fine whiskey. 
I’d had the bird phobia since I was about six. I’ve met other people who feel the same way so it’s good to know that I’m not a complete nutcase. 
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My mother has a bird phobia, too. I won’t tell the story she says started it all. It’s pretty horrifying, and I don’t know how much whiskey you have in the house, @jaquo.
I thought the animal was going to be a snake. One of my guests told me she didn’t bring her snake, an albino boa constrictor, but that said snake would “love it here.”
No. No it wouldn’t. I’m afraid it would feel unwelcome.
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Mine was too. So I’m definitely not relating it - there isn’t enough whiskey in the country to make me relive it.
I once had a guest who was pretty incommunicative before his stay but I knew he was bringing ‘a pet’. I was terrified that it would be a parrot, for some reason. I was determined to be very strong and explain that I’m not too good (understatement!) with birds but I hoped that he and his parrot had a good time.
I was so relieved when he arrived with a couple of dogs. 
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I happened to see “The Birds” when I was in college and in an “altered state.” The good old days.
Never . watching . it . again.
And I’m afraid of birds now, too. I’m fine watching them through glass. Could never touch one.
About 30 years ago when a bird pooped on me while I mowed the grass, I called my mother, crying.
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I am an Airbnb host and my husband has a service dog.
Service dogs are trained to a very high standard and should not cause problems, certainly not relieving themselves or marking in your home. Alas, too many people claim service dog status for their pets, and sorting out the fakes is difficult.
We choose dog-friendly rentals; less stress for everyone
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It’s funny how we used to be this way. We had cheaper rates and cared more about reviews. Now the wife and I much less keen to take bullshit. We also raised our prices which has help sift out the trashy guests. Win-win.
I admit you have to play the game when you’re new.
This is a two way street. Reviews help sift out the trashy hosts. I’m on record here as saying I wouldn’t stay with a host with a rating below 4.8. I also pick a host with more reviews over less reviews. Why not? Because I don’t have to. I also don’t think it’s that hard to get good reviews. Everywhere I look there are properties with 4.9+, and well established. I don’t feel like taking a chance just to save a few bucks.
I know everyone has to start somewhere. I do my part by giving free advice to new hosts here, I’m not going to risk my travel dollars on top of that. 
I’ve generally had both good and meh outcomes with a new listing. An outstanding one was a creole shotgun in Treme in New Orleans. The owner lived next door, so not a rentalpreneur displacing NOLA residents. It was gorgeous and priced to jumpstart the business. The price had more than doubled, out of my range, by the next year.
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Well if you ever make it to town we have a 4.99! We’ll even cut you a discount for being so helpful on here!
I would stay with most any host on this forum, even if they had below 4.8 because I’d know what was really going on with them. And most hosts here are taking ownership of their mistakes and trying to improve.
I just might be through there someday, I do love a road trip.
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I work in dog rescue and we see many young adults that have letters stating they need an Emotional Support Dog. Some have admitted they are doing it to skirt “No Pet” rules in dorms or rentals. They adopt and don’t even do basic training, but the dog is still certified as an ESA. It is sometimes a way to get around paying pet deposits too, as you cannot legally charge for an ESA.
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Depends where you are geographically, and in fact here in Spain I can refuse an ESA if I want. Which incidentally I would, as they are not protected by law.
Service dogs however are protected under law here, the same as in most countries.
JF
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Unfortunately, at least in the US, many people “game” the system claiming an ESA, get verification for a fee on line, and don’t have trained pets. Service animals are a very different thing and are highly trained. The folks who stayed with us claimed the dog was their son’s Emotional Support Dog, but we never saw the son with the dog, only mom and dad. It was a nice dog, but we felt like we’d lost control of our own space by being forced to take them.
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