Rhetorical Analysis

Example Student

AE 060

Rhetorical Analysis Essay

In the article, “Air Travel has become a Real Zoo,” the USA Today Editorial Board (2018) argues

that airlines should enact stricter rules concerning emotional support animals because these animals

cause problems. People bring untrained animals that have made other passengers uncomfortable and

even injured some. Additionally, many people say their pets are emotional support animals in order to

avoid paying extra fees. The USA Editorial Board used recent examples of emotional support animals on

airplanes, evidence of how people lie about their pets, and information from a major airline to convince

people who travel on airplanes that this problem needs to be resolved.

The writers tell several horror stories about emotional support animals on airplanes in order to

make the reader feel worried and angry about the lack of regulations. In one story, a large dog attacked

and seriously injured a passenger (para. 3) which makes the reader feel worried that they could be

attacked by an animal the next time they fly. Additionally, the article explained that on another flight, an

emotional support pig defecated in the aisle and howled for most of the flight (para. 4). Although the pig

did not injure anyone, imagining being trapped on a plane with an unruly animal will make the reader

feel frustrated an annoyed that this could happen to them in the future. By making the readers feel

scared and angry about recent events, the authors persuade them that situations like these must stop.

In addition to recent stories about animals on planes, the writers also provide evidence that

many of these emotional support animals are not legitimate emotional support animals. USA Today

claims that people can get a letter from a so-called mental health provider online after talking to them

via phone or video chat, and that some companies advertise that they can provide letters certifying pets

as emotional support animals (para. 11). People who use these services often do not have a legitimate

need for an emotional support animal; rather they are looking for a way to avoid paying the large fees

for traveling with a pet (para. 12). Most travelers understand that some people have legitimate reasons

that require an emotional support animal, so even if it is inconvenient to have an animal on a flight, they

will not complain. However, when travelers learn that a lot of the animals travelling are not medically

necessary, they will want to put an end to people lying to avoid paying extra money to take their pet on

vacation with them.

Finally, the writers use Delta’s recent decision to regulate emotional support animals on their

flights to show that major airlines are concerned about this problem. Delta is now requiring passengers

travelling with an emotional support animal to “provide proof from a doctor or a licensed medical health

professional ... certifying that they need the animal and certification that [the animal] is trained to

behave” (para. 7). These new rules should help identify people who are trying to game the system in

order to fly their pets for free without punishing those with legitimate emotional support animals.

Although some disability advocate groups have criticized Delta (para. 13), the fact that Delta, a major

international airline, is making changes, makes the reader think that these changes are probably for the

best.

The USA Today Editorial Board is obviously concerned about how people are abusing the

emotional support animal system just so they can travel with their pets for free. Stories of events

involving misbehaving animals makes the reader feel worried and upset about how this problem could

affect them on their next flight, and examples of how people are getting fake letters for their pets also

proves that this is a real issue. The writers also point imply that this is a serious issue because major

airlines, like Delta, have begun implementing new rules and regulations that will help prevent people

from bringing their pets onto flights under the guise of an emotional support animal. Hopefully, more

airlines will follow Delta’s lead and put a stop to people claiming that their pets are emotional support

animals just to get them a free ride.