Delta Air Lines has purportedly banned a passenger after their (fake) service dog attacked a blind passenger and his (real) service dog.
Report: Passenger Banned After Fake Service Dogs Attack Blind Man And His Real Service Dogs After Delta Air Lines Flight
Read the chilling story of Dimitris Kostantinos Kouniaris, who flew on Delta Air Lines to San Diego (thanks to YMMV for bringing this story to my knowledge), then I’ll offer my thoughts below.
I need to share something that happened to Anza and me last night when we arrived in San Diego—something that shook me to my core.
Picture this.
You’ve just landed. You’re exhausted but filled with anticipation because this is a special moment—your guide dog’s puppy raiser is waiting to see him. Your heart is pounding, emotions swirling. You can’t see, but you can feel the way Anza moves, the way his body shifts in the harness, the way he takes each step with purpose and confidence. You trust him completely.
With the help of an airport assistant, you step off the plane. You grip Anza’s harness handle and leash firmly in your left hand and give the “forward” command. He moves smoothly, guiding you up the jet bridge—calm, steady, absolutely in control. His training is second nature; this is what he was born to do.
And then—chaos.
Before you even reach the main concourse, before you can get your bearings, an off-leash dog comes out of nowhere, lunging straight at Anza and me. In an instant, it’s charging—teeth bared, growling, barking—a full-force attack.
Your heart slams into your chest.
You don’t have time to think, only react. You hear the airport assistant gasp. With my left hand still gripping Anza’s harness and leash, I drop the harness handle to free his movement while keeping hold of the leash. Instinct kicks in—I step directly between Anza and the attacking dog, arms out, body tense—forming a shield.
Two seconds. That’s all it takes.
The dog’s owner finally grabs it, yanking it away. But in those two seconds, your world tilts. Your hands are shaking.
Your breath is ragged. Your body is still locked in fight-or-flight. And Anza—your lifeline, your partner—stands by your side, waiting for your next command.
The reality of what just happened crashes down on you. You’re furious. You’re terrified. You’re trembling with the weight of what could have been.
Because here’s the truth people don’t seem to understand: if a service dog gets attacked, it can end their career.
$70,000. That’s the cost of the highly specialized training that makes a guide dog what they are. If that training is undone—if they are traumatized, injured, or afraid to work—that investment is lost. But more importantly, the independence, the safety, and the trust that a blind person has in their guide dog is shattered.Anza is trained for moments like this. He has worked through airports, city streets, and crowded spaces. He does not react. He does not panic. He is solid as a rock. But an untrained, uncontrolled dog? That’s a different story.
Every single time someone allows their dog to lunge at a service dog, to bark, to act aggressively—it’s not just “an unfortunate incident.” It’s a potential disaster. It puts the dog at risk. It puts the handler at risk. And it’s entirely preventable.
Delta took this seriously. They banned the owner from future flights. From what I was told, they falsely claimed their dog was a service dog—but we all know it was just an ESA (Emotional Support Animal).
And here’s the thing—I’m grateful that Anza and I are okay. But that fear? That helplessness? That moment of pure, gut-wrenching panic? That’s something I’ll never forget.
People need to wake up. If you have a dog, keep it under control. If your dog is not trained for public environments, do not bring them into spaces where they can put working teams at risk.
A guide dog is not a pet. A guide dog is freedom. They are our eyes, our safety, our unwavering partners.
And last night, for two horrifying seconds, I almost lost that.
Wow…
My Thoughts On This Horrific Incident
I write about fake service dogs a lot, but I’ve never considered how an attack against a real service dog could permanently sideline that dog…a massive investment in time and money for those that are properly trained (i.e., a real service dog).
What happened is criminal… absolutely criminal.
I hope that Kouniaris will pursue civil damages against the dog owner and prosecutors might look into criminal charges as well. While I’ve seen no official confirmation from Delta that the passenger was banned, that is also a proper response.
I suppose the dog lovers are going to whine that the dog did not apparently bite…I say baloney. That dog should be destroyed for its unhinged conduct.
CONCLUSION
A fake service dog attacked a real service dog in San Diego. Delta has allegedly responded by banning the owner of the fake dog. Hopefully that dog owner will also face civil and criminal repercussions for his fraudulent conduct.
