A service dog bit two people at Denver International Airport last week.
The airport's media team confirmed that an incident occurred last week between an American Airlines employee and a passenger with a service dog. Bella, a Belgian Malinois, bit the airline employee and a passenger waiting for a flight the morning of April 26, said Tammy Vigil, spokesperson for the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment.
The airline employee was bitten on the face and the bystander on the forearm, Vigil said.
The injuries are individually considered a level 4 out of 6 on Dr.'s Dog Bite Scale. Ian Dunbar, but because they were combined into a multiple bite incident, the ratings are being escalated to a level 5 out of 6, Vigil said. A level 6 is reached when the victim dies.
According to the dog bite scale, the last two levels mean 'the dog is extremely dangerous'.
The responding Denver Animal Protection officer did not confirm whether the dog was an official service animal. “That said, under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 'service animals in training' are given the same legal protections as fully trained service animals and should generally be considered the same in places like the airport and airlines,” Vigil said.
The dog will be quarantined for 10 days at the Denver Animal Shelter until May 6, Vigil added. She declined to identify the owner because of an ongoing investigation.
Denver police asked questions to Denver Animal Control. American Airlines' media team did not respond to a request for comment.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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