Emotional support dog mauls passenger on Delta flight
An emotional support dog itself got a little too emotional on a Delta Air Lines flight, biting and badly injuring a fellow passenger.
The incident took place at the weekend on the tarmac at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport as the plane was preparing to fly to San Diego.
The passenger was taken off the flight to seek medical attention.
The dog and its owner were also removed and later allowed to travel with the canine place in a pet carrier.
According to other passengers the passenger was badly mauled.
"The gentleman’s face was completely bloody, blood in his eyes, cheeks, nose, his mouth, his shirt was covered in blood," passenger Bridget Maddox-Peoples told Fox News.
The airline issued a statement confirming the incident.
"Prior to pushback of flight 1430, ATL-SAN, a passenger sustained a bite from another passenger’s emotional support dog. The customer who was bitten was removed from the flight to receive medical attention. Local law enforcement cleared the dog, and the dog and its owner were re-accommodated on a later flight in a kennel."
The dog’s owner has not been named but was described as a ‘combat veteran.’
According to news reports, he was seen back in the terminal in tears, repeatedly saying: "I know they’re going to put him down."
Asked whether it will lead to a change in policy for emotional support animals, Delta spokesman Anthony Black said the airline is ‘currently examining the details of the event.’
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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