A plane passenger has sparked a furious debate over whether pets should be allowed to travel in the cabin after detailing a horrific incident in which a dog’s “messy accident” forced a flight to be diverted. .
In the US, it is not uncommon to see pets on board a domestic flight, as long as they meet certain weight and size requirements, while in other countries passengers’ fur babies may be restricted to traveling in cargo.
However, a recent incident on a United Airlines flight, which was forced to land mid-trip after a dog relieved itself outside the first-class bathroom, has sparked fierce debate over this policy.
In a poll of DailyMail.com readers asking “should dogs be banned from airplane cabins?”, an overwhelming 68 percent answered “yes.”
14 percent of respondents said “no,” while the remaining 18 percent believe the animals should not be banned if they are trained properly.
A furious debate has broken out over whether dogs should be allowed to continue flying in aircraft cabins after a dog had a “messy” accident on a flight which forced it to divert (file image)
A United Airlines flight was forced to land after a dog relieved itself in the plane’s aisle, just outside the first class bathroom, a spokesperson confirmed to DailyMail.com.
The complicated incident behind the poop debate was captured by a Reddit user gig_assistantwho said they were on the five-hour flight 422 from Houston to Seattle on Friday, April 7, when the incident occurred.
“The dog had an accident in the first class aisle,” the passenger wrote next to the photo.
The Reddit user said the flight was diverted to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, where ground staff spent more than two hours trying to clean the carpet with paper towels, noting that the smell made them sick.
“The gate agents kept shouting at the passengers and cabin crew,” they continued.
“The smell never completely went away.”
The several-hour cleaning effect was ultimately unsuccessful, as the first-class bathroom was declared unusable.
“The dog disaster was apparently not resolved there,” the passenger wrote. “The food spoiled while he was on the ground, so there were very few snacks left.”
In an email to DailyMail.com, United Airlines confirmed that the incident had occurred but declined to share other details.
According to the Department of TransportationIf pets travel on airlines, they must comply with animal transportation requirements of a federal agency, a U.S. territory, or a foreign jurisdiction.
The website notes that airlines may require: a US DOT form attesting to the animal’s health, behavior and training; and a US DOT form certifying that the animal is unable to relieve itself or can do so in a sanitary manner, if the animal will be on a flight of 8 hours or more.
However, comments on the post criticized people who take their dogs on flights, with many calling for them to be limited to transporting them as cargo.
Comments on the post criticized people who take their dogs on flights, some even sharing their own stories.
“Get dogs off fucking planes unless they fit in a carrier under the seat and stay there,” was one person’s opinion.
“This HAS to have cost United a hell of a lot more than the ticket,” another guessed. “You would think they would start individually banning owners of bad dogs from bringing in their “service” pets.
‘All animals must be in a cage or in the cargo hold. Only service animals should be for the blind. “You don’t need an ’emotional support dog’ for a damn plane ride,” one user fumed.
‘Dog people are crazy and I’m sick of the owners’ “he’s my baby” mentality. He’s a damn animal. And the owner should be responsible for cleaning up that mess. He takes a dog on a plane and cleans up your mess,’ they concluded.
Another user agreed and shared that he recently moved to Germany and had to fly with his pet.
“I don’t want my dog in a carry, but that’s where most dogs belong,” they wrote. ‘Too many people have the energy of the main character and think their dog should be in the cabin. If he is a carrier fine, but many are not. There are legitimate service dogs, but the rules have become too lax.
In January, passengers were horrified after a fellow traveler pooped his pants during the flight and left the faeces “spread like peanut butter” all over the seat.
One of the disgruntled travelers took to Reddit to share his dismay at the situation, and it quickly went viral, while prompting some suggestions that it might have been a made-up story.