An airline passenger with a dog walks through Frankfurt Airport in June. Photo: Thomas Frey/dpa ... [+]
A flight attendant required five stitches on his left hand after he was bitten on Monday by an emotional support dog during a Dallas-Greensboro, N.C. flight.
The flight attendant, who was working on American Airlines Flight 3306, operated by Envoy Air, was treated after returning to Dallas.
“An emotional support animal bit an Envoy flight attendant yesterday during the flight from Dallas/Fort Worth to Piedmont Triad,” American spokesman Ross Feinstein said Tuesday.
“The flight attendant was examined by medical personnel upon arrival at Piedmont Triad, but did not require any treatment – he was cleared to return to DFW,” Feinstein said. "Upon return to DFW, the flight attendant subsequently received five stitches.”
The incident underscores the continuing controversy over whether the “emotional support” designation is valid or whether it is a scam intended to enable pets to fly for free.
The Association of Flight Attendants is pushing the Department of Transportation to issue a rule strengthening the standards for emotional support animals on aircraft in order to assure the safety of flight attendants and passengers. The union called Monday’s incident “completely unacceptable.
“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,” the union said.
“We need the Department of Transportation to take action now, so events like the one that happened yesterday do not continue to occur on our planes,” the union said. “This is fundamentally about maintaining safety, health and security for passengers and crew, while ensuring accessibility for those who need it.”
In 2018, an AFA survey showed that 61% of flight attendants said they had worked a flight where an emotional support animal caused an inflight disturbance, such as defecating or urinating or being the cause of a dispute between passengers. About 5,000 flight attendants were surveyed.
Effective April 1, American enhanced its rules for transporting “emotional support” animals.
Among the standards, the animal must be a cat or dog or, in special cases, a miniature horse, and must be four months or older, clean and well behaved, and “able to fit at your feet, under your seat or in your lap.” Miniature horses may be allowed in some cases,” the airline said.
Advance notice and approval are required to bring the animal on board. If an animal does not meet the standards, it may be decided at the airport that the animal must be transported as a checked pet or the carrier may require that the passenger purchase a ticket for the animal.
To transport an “emotional support” animal, passengers must complete three forms: a medical/mental health professional form, a veterinary health form and a “confirmation of animal behavior form.”
Moreover, the animals have to behave. “They won’t be permitted in the cabin if they display any form of disruptive behavior that can’t be successfully corrected or controlled,” including but not limited to growling, biting or attempting to bit and jumping on or lunging at people, according to American’s regulations.
