ROMULUS, Mich. – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is responding after a video went viral on Sunday of a dog being aggressively pulled by its handler at Detroit Metro Airport.
The dog works with TSA agents as part of the explosion detection team. On Sunday morning, a video of the dog being aggressively handled circulated social media, and many viewers were reportedly disturbed by the agent’s actions.
“We don’t know the whole story, but, the video, it doesn’t look right,” one traveler told Local 4.
The video shows a TSA explosive detection canine handler aggressively pulling a working dog at the airport. The dog and the handler go back and forth for the duration of the video.
At one point, a traveler gets in the way of the agent, and he appears to be a little uneasy.
“I didn’t think it was really too bad until I saw the last two jerks, I think that was a little, a little uncalled for,” the traveler said.
TSA responded to our request for comment and said the behavior displayed in the video is unacceptable.
“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,” TSA said in a statement to Local 4. “The behavior displayed by this handler is unacceptable and not within the high standards we hold our officers to.”
TSA also said the employee has been removed from handling duties pending the completion of an investigation.
As for the dog the handler was pulling, TSA directed officials at DTW to take the dog to a veterinarian immediately for a wellness exam.