Passengers on United Airlines Flight 498 received a smelly surprise from a Chihuahua sitting on their neighbor's lap
At the time of the incident, the woman was sitting in an aisle seat at the back of the plane. According to one passenger, there was dog feces on the armrest, on her seat, and on the floor.
It took the flight attendants about 10 minutes to come and clean up the mess. The woman had been flying from Cincinnati with her dog all day before boarding a flight to Portland. This was reported by dailymail.co.
"She mentioned earlier, when I first boarded, that she hadn't taken him to the bathroom at the airport," said one passenger.
Later, the dog's owner took her Chihuahua out of its carrier some time before it had to go to the bathroom.
"The woman behind me, who is pregnant, said she had developed senses and so she pressed the call button, I turned on my phone light and then I realized the dog was out," added passenger Nick.
Another passenger, Burton Bix, said: "Eventually the flight attendants cleaned the seats around me."
Flight attendants also handed out coffee bags to passengers to try to reduce the odor.
In a statement, United Airlines confirmed that its flight crew "thoroughly cleaned the area" after customers alerted flight attendants.
"We provided disinfectant wipes and offered travel vouchers to those sitting in the area," the statement said.
The woman violated the protocol by taking the dog out before the incident.
United Airlines' pet travel guidelines state that there are no weight or breed restrictions. However, all animals "must travel in a carrier with a hard or soft side".
United Airlines' protocol also states that carriers must be placed under the seat. The only animals that are allowed to fly on flights without a special carrier are service animals.
The airline also suggested on its website that dog owners try using diapers for their animals.
Pet owners who use the United Airlines app can also access the maps feature to see where pet-friendly lounges are located at any airport.