A Detroit Transportation Security Administration (TSA) worker has been suspended after a video went viral of him aggressively yanking on the leash of an explosives and drug detection dog.
The unidentified TSA worker was captured on video walking his dog back and forth in the Detroit Metropolitan Airport, violently yanking the dog’s leash multiple times to turn it around.
As the TSA worker pulls the dog by the neck, the dog appears to even have trouble staying on his feet.
The video was captured on Sunday, May 7, by a traveler who uploaded the video to Reddit, writing, “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 it’s harness like this?!”
“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 added.
The video was quickly shared on social media, and viewers turned in the footage to TSA and The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
This TSA agent is unfit to handle a dog. pic.twitter.com/WaQ6mt6FR9
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) May 8, 2023
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On Monday morning, TSA released a statement addressing the alarming video.
“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 agency said. “The behavior displayed by this handler is unacceptable and not within the high standards we hold our officers to.”
“TSA officials at DTW have removed the employee from handling duties pending completion of an investigation, and directed that the canine be taken immediately to a veterinarian for a wellness exam.”
The dog in the video reportedly visited the vet and is not injured from the mistreatment.
