An airline passenger is receiving heavy social media criticism after recently bringing their emotional support Great Dane on a plane.
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A content creator known as Rob posted a clip on Instagram of the large dog accidentally stepping on one of the flight attendant’s feet as they boarded the aircraft.
The airline employee was heard yelping, “Ow!” after the pup’s paw made contact with her foot.
“Have we taken the support animal thing too far?” Rob wrote across the clip.
Although the video mainly focused on the large Great Dane boarding the aircraft, some Instagram users were posting their opinions about the flight attendant’s reaction.
“You can tell the flight attendant is miserable,” one person wrote.
Another user noted the pup was aware of the “negative energy” the flight attendant had.
“Good job, dog,” they added with a clapping emoji.
Meanwhile, other Instagram commenters agreed that the flight attendant did nothing wrong regarding her reaction to the emotional support of Great Dane’s footing.
“The amount of hate the flight attendant is getting for being STEPPED on is wild,” a fellow commenter declared.
The Commenters Called Out the Passenger For Their Emotional Support Great Dane’s Collar
Instagram users also called attention to the fact that the Great Dane had a pinch collar.
“Not a single ‘dog lover’ criticized the owner for the metal pinch collar around that pup’s neck, but we’re trashing the flight attendant for being annoyed,” one Instagram commenter stated.
The commenter then pointed out that the flight attendant wasn’t a dog sitter and shouldn’t be treated as such.
“She has to accommodate the owner’s additional ‘needs’ and complications a huge pet like that might cause. We have such a lack of respect for service workers and courtesy for others,” they continued. “For the purpose of meeting our own needs. It’s absolutely ridiculous to read comments devaluing humans over pets. Love my pups, but the world doesn’t revolve around me, nor should it revolve around them.”
Other Instagram users also noticed the dog collar.
“That dog has a choke collar and is huge,” a fellow user stated. “Seats on airplanes are small. People have dog allergies. I love dogs, but humans are higher on the food chain. This animal is a pet. Period.”
“Real service dog wouldn’t need a prong,” another commenter added.
As of March 2021, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) no longer requires airlines to accept emotional support animals (ESAs) on flights. ESAs are also not protected by the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA).
Although most airlines do not accept ESAs, some do charge a pet fee for comfort animals.