WASHINGTON — Back in the day, a dog dumping runny deuces inside a plane full of passengers was the stuff of nightmares. Now, thanks to 'emotional support animals' it's an increasingly typical reality.

The New York Times reports that cheapskates who want their pets to fly for free turn to websites offering service animal "certification."

This has led to a boom of untrained dogs, birds, rodents, reptiles and amphibians in plane cabins...and lots of disgruntled staff.

Meanwhile, the people with legit, properly trained service animals are getting a bad rep.

It's even worse for people with disabilities that aren't visible, like brain injuries or PTSD.

This is why veterans and disability groups are now wanting new transportation rules, and local or federal regulations that would necessitate animal certification for public spaces.

According to the New York Times, airlines are working to cut down on the number of animals onboard.

Some are sympathetic to the veterans, and already have policies that make it harder for those who are just out for a free ride.

Airlines have also joined forces with veteran groups to crack down on bogus emotional service animals. This means only allowing species that can fulfill service functions, aka, probably not a hamster, sloth, or turtle.