Support Dog Mauls Passenger On Delta Flight

ATLANTA, GA — A Delta Airlines flight experienced a harrowing moment before takeoff at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport when an emotional support dog attacked a passenger, badly injuring a man's face, according to the airline and news reports. The incident happened Sunday on a flight from Atlanta to San Diego and resulted in the bitten passenger having to be taken off the flight for medical attention.

The man was seated by the window, and the dog owner, identified as Marine veteran Ronald Kevin Mundy Jr. of Mills River, North Carolina, was in the middle seat, while the canine was at some point sitting in his lap. For some unknown reason, the dog attacked the man, according to one passenger, who described the incident to local media. (To get notified of more local news like this, click here to sign up for the Atlanta Patch. Or find your Atlanta-area town here. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

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Passenger Bridget Maddox-Peoples described a horrific scene as the man appeared to be mauled by the dog. The victim, identified as Marlin Termaine Jackson of Daphne, Alabama, endured severe injuries to his face, according to news reports.

“The gentleman’s face was completely bloody, blood in his eyes, cheeks, nose, his mouth, his shirt was covered in blood,” Maddox-Peoples said, according to WAGA-TV. She said that dog looked to be a chocolate Labrador retriever/pointer mix weighing around 50 pounds.

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Delta's flight crew reacted swiftly to the situation, summoning medical help and getting them to transport the man off the plane to safety.

Delta said that the dog and its owner were removed from the flight. The animal will not be around other fliers, the company said.

"Prior to pushback of flight 1430, ATL-SAN, a passenger sustained a bite from another passenger's emotional support dog," Delta told Patch in a statement Monday. "The customer who was bitten was removed from the flight to receive medical attention. Local law enforcement spoke with the owner and ultimately cleared the dog to travel. The owner was reaccommodated on a later flight with the dog flying in a kennel."

The victim appeared to be shaken by the incident while he was walked off the plane, Maddox-Peoples told the TV station.

Another passenger, citing information from the flight crew, said the dog's owner was a "combat veteran," and he was seen hugging the dog and sobbing saying, "I know they're going to put him down," WAGA reports.

Patch is working to get an update on the victim's condition.

Stay with Patch for the latest. This is a developing story.

Image via Pixabay