[CaptainYooh]

Pretty much anyone can obtain a license for an emotional support animal by obtaining a letter of recommendation from a psychiatrist or psychologist. And, as pointed out, fear of flying is an easy enough cause to ... misrepresent, if you will and a difficult enough cause to verify professionally. So, yes, those who really make an effort to get a "free pass" on a pet can get it. What's more, Canada recognizes those licenses issued by other countries where bureaucratic procedures are quite corrupt.

The problem is that those pets are not necessarily trained service animals and have a higher chance to behave unpredictably. One example: when a person goes to the washroom and leaves their pet on a seat unattended, which in turn becomes anxious. Another example: an untrained pet can misinterpret flight attendant's or another passenger's intentions when they're coming through or passing by close to an owner and may become overprotective.

This is where I think the licensing authority must draw the line there and insist that if an owner wants to have a pet accompanying her/him anywhere for support, the animal MUST go through the fully-certified training protocol, just like the real service dogs do.