People were left in disbelief after witnessing a Great Dane being welcomed on board a flight, as a passenger claimed it was his ’emotional support’ animal.
Travelers on the flight speculated that a man might have pushed the boundaries by bringing his sizable Great Dane along for emotional support.
Most US airlines have strict rules against allowing emotional support animals on board, but they may make exceptions if specific documentation is presented.
The video showing the man and his large dog being greeted on the plane has gone viral, gathering 4.8 million views.
A female flight attendant is overheard offering a greeting to the passengers.
“Hey, welcome aboard,” she said with hesitation, just as the dog stepped on her foot.
“Ow!” she exclaimed, leading to an apology from the owner.
Some people argued the dog’s presence posed a risk due to its typical weight range of 110 to 175 pounds for a Great Dane.
Life Coach Rob, who uploaded the footage to social media, questioned in his caption: “Have we taken this support animal thing too far?”
This question sparked a considerable response online.
A user commented: “Emotional support for one person, emotional distress for hundreds! This is ridiculous.”
Another user echoed the sentiment, adding: “I am a dog lover but this is getting absolutely ridiculous. I am all for trained service animals…this is not one of them.”
Another Great Dane owner criticized the passenger, stating: “As a person who had a Great Dane and viewing this one’s classic body language, this is NOT an assisted therapy animal. Lol.”
As for where the dog was seated during the entire flight, it reportedly had its own seat.
A different passenger expressed irritation: “I would have been pi**ed if he was anywhere near me on the plane. This is so disrespectful and should not have been allowed.”
One individual pointed out the potential health risks for passengers with specific allergies.
They commented: “So now you put that dog next to someone who has dog trauma or allergies… then what?
“Because it can’t block the aisle! It’s legit going to be on the next person’s lap unless they paid for two seats. Also, that poor dog won’t be able to lay down.”
However, not everyone was critical of the man and his dog.
Some expressed a preference for sitting next to a dog rather than ‘screaming kids’.
“That dog can sit next to me anytime,” one person remarked.
Another added: “That big baby can sit next to me anytime.”