TSA Agent Slammed for ‘Aggressively’ Yanking Bomb-Sniffing Dog in Viral Video
A Transportation Security Administration agent caused an uproar online after a viral video showed him seemingly mishandling a bomb-sniffing dog at a Detroit airport.
Originally uploaded to Reddit, the videos shows an unidentified TSA agent yanking on the working dog's leash as they walk back and forth through the airport.
"This isn't Delta specific but filmed from the sky club at DTW. I was shocked at how this airport handler is dragging this poor pup around. There's no reason anyone should be flipping a working dog around by its harness like this?!" the user who uploaded the since-deleted video wrote on Reddit.
"I have a high energy dog so at first I assumed it was a mistake or that the puppy was a bit over energetic but looks like the handler is just being unnecessarily rough with it," they continued.
READ MORE: Dad Arrested for Piercing for Son’s Ears, Facing Felony Charges
Reddit users in the comments slammed the TSA agent, with one person suggesting the airport "take that dog away from him."
"Hundreds of people close by and this is how this asshole treats that poor dog. Imagine what he does when no one is around," another user commented.
"You can see the dog keep trying to get on his left side and he’s just jerking it around. Makes me so angry that he’s even allowed near that beautiful animal," someone else wrote.
The video was shared on Twitter by Michigan Rep. Jamie Thompson, who confirmed the employee seen in the video had been "removed from handling duties pending the completion of [an] investigation."
The TSA condemned the agent's treatment of the dog in an official statement shared on Twitter. The agency also said the dog will undergo a veterinarian wellness exam.
"Video showing a TSA explosive detection canine handler aggressively pulling a dog working in a Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) terminal was shared with local leadership this morning. The behavior displayed by this handler is unacceptable, and not within the high standards we hold our officers to," the statement reads.
Read the full message and watch the video below: