Life With Dogs: Delta Continues Pit Bulls Ban Despite Department of Transportation Order

Most people strongly believe that every person should be treated equally. So, why doesn’t everyone feel the same about every dog? There are so many dogs that are discriminated simply because of their breed.

Certain stereotypes can cause a sweet dog to be labeled as “aggressive,” and it’s just not fair! People will often judge a dog before they really get to know them. Now, Delta airlines is adding to this unfair judgement and refusing to listen to reason.

Delta recently announced that they will allow service animals and emotional support animals on flights longer than 8 hours. However, the rule does not apply if that dog is a Pit Bull. Sadly, Pit Bulls are not allowed on Delta even if they are a service dog. So, of course, the announcement upset many dog lovers, especially those looking to travel with their Pit Bull.

The breed was first banned over a year ago on Delta flights. Now, even though they are more lenient on some of their other dog rules, they refuse to change their Pit Bull policy. The CEO of the Humane Society reported that is rule was discriminatory, but Delta did not seem to care.

“The safety of our people is paramount. In 2018 alone, more than 40 instances of aggressive animal behavior occurred aboard a Delta aircraft,” claimed Allison Ausband, Delta’s Senior Vice President for In-Flight Service.

However, Ausband’s statement doesn’t even specifically link these aggressive instances to Pit Bulls. If a human child were to act aggressive on a flight, they wouldn’t ban children from airplanes. So, why do they ban dogs? It is unlikely that anything will even positively change for the airline after banning Pit Bulls.

Also, if someone has a Pit Bull for a service dog, they are out of luck flying with Delta. Service animals are in place to benefit their humans, so some people can’t fly without them. Because of this, Delta is not only discriminating against a dog breed, but also against the people that need those dogs to survive.

The U.S. Department of Transportation released a statement that forbids airlines from banning dogs based on their breed. However, Delta is still trying their best to stand their ground.

“We will never compromise on safety, and we will do what is right for the health and safety of our customers and employees,” stated John Laughter, Delta’s Senior Vice President for Corporate Safety, Security, and Compliance.

Some airlines are actually allowing emotional support horses on their flights now. So, if you can bring a miniature horse in the cabin with you, it seems logical that any dog breed should be allowed as well.

So, if you love to travel with your dog, Delta might not be the best option for you. Even if your dog is not a Pit Bull, by flying with Delta, you’re still supporting a company that discriminates against dogs. Consider that next time you need to book a flight.