At Portland Airport, a 5-year-old girl was bitten by a dog for emotional support.
Oregon resident Mirna Gonzalez filed a lawsuit for 1,1 million dollars against the owner of a pit bull and Alaska Airlines after a dog bit her 5-year-old daughter at Portland International Airport.
The lawsuit filed by the woman on behalf of her daughter, Gabriela González, claims that Michelle Brannan, the dog’s owner, should have known that her pet had a “propensity for aggression”, and Alaska Airlines also allowed her to take a dangerous dog with them. and be with her in the waiting area of landing at the gate, despite the fact that the pit bull was not trained and did not have a muzzle, writes Fox News.
According to the lawsuit, the incident occurred on December 18 2017 at the gates of C7 Airport in Portland.
Gabriella, who was then 5 for years, was waiting at the gate when Brannan entered the waiting area with her pit bull, which, according to the lawsuit, was not in a special box and had no restrictions on movement or muzzle at all. The child asked Brennan for permission to pet the dog, the owner allowed it to be done. But while the girl caressed the animal, it bit her, causing serious injuries.
“As a result of the incident, Gabriella Gonzalez suffered injuries to the muscles, tendons, bones, nerves and soft tissues of her face, eyes, eyelids, tear ducts and lips, as well as emotional trauma,” the lawsuit states.
The document also states that Gabriella left scars and “she needed surgery to treat complex bites on her face and damaged tear ducts. The girl's mother said that they had already incurred serious material expenses, but they would have to undergo several more medical procedures.
Brennan told the airline that the pit bull is an emotional support animal, which is why the dog was allowed on the plane.
Alaska Airlines does not require animals for emotional support to be in boxes, but they must be kept on a leash and controlled by the owner.
Alaska Airlines declined to comment on the case, saying that it “would be inappropriate,” especially since they had not yet received a lawsuit.
According to the rules, a passenger who wants to take an animal on board for emotional support should answer questions about what service an animal carries in his particular case and clarify whether it is trained. If satisfactory answers are received to these questions, the airline cannot refuse to transport the animal in the cabin.
Chad Stavley, an attorney for Gonzalez, said that Brannan had a formal letter from her psychotherapist with her, although it was not specific.
“It didn’t say what kind of animal it was, it just used the generic word ‘animal,’” Staveley said.
The lawsuit alleges that Brennan should be liable for all damages suffered by the child due to the incident, the mother requires 100 000 dollars for past medical and future medical expenses, as well as 1 million dollars for the pain and suffering of the child.
At the moment, it is unclear what happened to the dog after the incident.
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