‘Smell never quite went away’: US plane diverted after dog poops in aisle

A flight heading to Seattle, USA, had to change course to Dallas because a dog defecated in the plane's aisle. This happened during a United Airlines flight departing from Houston on Friday (April 5). 

A Reddit user, gig_wizard, shared a picture of the mess on the flight on the social media platform. “Dog had messy accident in the aisle right in first class. Plane diverted to DFW. Ground crew spent over 2 hours cleaning carpets with paper towels,” the user said. The incident was later confirmed by the airlines to Business Insider.

“Smell made me ill. Gate agents kept yelling at passengers and the cabin crew. The smell never quite went away. First class toilet declared unusable as the dog mess was apparently unresolved in there. Food went bad while on the ground so very few snacks left,” the post continued. 

As per the United Airlines website, pets are allowed on domestic flights if they can fit in a container beneath the seat and stay put throughout the journey. The post got significant attention from social media users since it was shared.

“I was on a flight once where there was a service dog. (Chicago to Allentown). Flight was turbulent. The moment that flight landed and got to the gate, and that exit door opened, that dog beat everyone off the plane and shat all over the jetway. We were delayed by 15 minutes getting off the plane as they had to clean it up. Kudos to the dog for holding it together,” said a user.

“This was obviously not a small, lap-sized dog,” commented a person.

A third user said, “I love my dogs and generally prefer dogs to people. That said, I am a firm believer that the only time a dog should be on a plane is when the owner is moving, and driving is not an option.”

“And this is why dogs do not belong out in the open in public areas. You want to fly with your dog, put it in the carrier and keep it in the carrier from the minute you get to the airport until you get to your destination,” another argued. 

“I'm sorry but I flew for years without people bringing their pets on board. It's time to reverse this. If you can't fly without a pet don't fly. Take the bus,” said a person.

Also watch | Will you drink a coffee made through animal poop?

Not the first time….

On another occasion, an incident involving an animal defecating on a plane occurred. In February, when a dog escaped from its crate during a United Airlines flight, resulting in unpleasant odours that affected passengers. Flight attendants had to wear special suits resembling hazmat gear to clean up the mess.

(With inputs from agencies)