SALT LAKE CITY — An American Airlines flight attendant received five stitches after he was reportedly bitten by an emotional support animal, according to the Associated Press.
An emotional support dog bit the flight attendant on Monday during a flight from Dallas, Texas, to Greensboro, North Carolina, according to CNN.
Medical professionals helped the flight attendant after the flight landed. He received stitches at the airport and returned to work shortly after.
What they’re saying: The Association of Flight Attendants made a plea with the Department of Transportation to help prevent similar incidents in the future.
- “What happened on yesterday’s American Airlines flight is completely unacceptable and inexcusable,” the flight attendant union said in a statement on Tuesday. “For years, AFA has supported the role trained animals can provide to passengers in the cabin, but we have also called for action in regards to setting standards for emotional support animals.”
Local trainers in North Carolina told WGHP that emotional support dogs need to be prepared for air travel.
- “We need to make sure, as part of our caretaking for them, that we're not putting them in situations that they’re not ready for and unprepared for,” said Kat Carver, a trainer at Saving Grace K9’s in Lexington, North Carolina.
Flashback: A similar incident occurred on Delta Air Lines when a passenger was “mauled in the face by a fellow passenger’s emotional support dog” back in 2017, according to Fox News. The passenger reportedly suffered injuries to the face and body.