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Delta pit bull ban hits roadblock, DOT shortens leash

The U.S. Department of Transportation has ruled the airline must allow all types of service dogs on board.

ATLANTA — Delta Air Lines banned pit bull service dogs roughly a year ago, in an attempt to address growing safety concerns, but now the U.S. Department of Transportation has ruled the airline must allow all types of service dogs on board.

The U.S. DOT issued a final statement about service animals on flights and said it "views a limitation based exclusively on breed of the service animal to not be allowed under its service animal regulations."

In March 2018, the Atlanta-based airline restricted its support animal policy, limiting the number of emotional support animals per customer to one and banning "pit bull type dogs" as service or support animals.

Delta said the changes followed an 84% increase in reported incidents involving service and support animals since 2016, including urination/defecation, biting and even a widely reported attack by a 70-pound dog.

Visit the Atlanta Business Chronicle for the full report

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