Narrative:

Passenger in seat xxb boarded with a great dane service animal. I am not exaggerating when I say that the dog was the size of a small pony. The dog sat at her feet and took up the entire space on the floor and also overlapped about 6 inches into the aisle. The aircraft was an A320 and it was an all-nighter. The flight was completely full and a passenger had to be bought off the flight so that xxa remained open because there was no room for anyone to situation there. This dog made it past check in and security and was even allowed to board without anyone (csr) expressing any concern of space. I understand that a person has a right to a service animal but this dog was so large that it took up space out into the aisle where I had to walk for the service. It was dark and anyone could have tripped on the dog. She didn't have much control over the dog and when she went to the lavatory the dog took off down the economy aisle. I had to physically restrain the dog with its leash. She also had the dog drink out of the sink in the first class lavatory because she didn't bring a bowl for him. The dog smelled and he got hair on everything including the seats and me. I felt like the comfort and safety of others were compromised by such a huge dog. We took a delay while the csr's bought off the passenger plus they allowed the passenger to leave her dog and return to security to retrieve her forgotten laptop. This was after scheduled departure time. It doesn't make sense that passenger have to store their luggage for takeoff but that a 200 pound dog can be laying across an aisle. This situation should have been dealt with before the passenger boarded. It all made for a very uncomfortable flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLT ATTENDANT REPORTS A GREAT DANE SERVICE DOG ALLOWED WITH OWNER IN SEAT XXB TOOK UP THE FLOOR SPACE OF BOTH XXA/B AND PART OF AISLE.

Narrative: PAX IN SEAT XXB BOARDED WITH A GREAT DANE SVC ANIMAL. I AM NOT EXAGGERATING WHEN I SAY THAT THE DOG WAS THE SIZE OF A SMALL PONY. THE DOG SAT AT HER FEET AND TOOK UP THE ENTIRE SPACE ON THE FLOOR AND ALSO OVERLAPPED ABOUT 6 INCHES INTO THE AISLE. THE ACFT WAS AN A320 AND IT WAS AN ALL-NIGHTER. THE FLT WAS COMPLETELY FULL AND A PAX HAD TO BE BOUGHT OFF THE FLT SO THAT XXA REMAINED OPEN BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR ANYONE TO SIT THERE. THIS DOG MADE IT PAST CHK IN AND SECURITY AND WAS EVEN ALLOWED TO BOARD WITHOUT ANYONE (CSR) EXPRESSING ANY CONCERN OF SPACE. I UNDERSTAND THAT A PERSON HAS A RIGHT TO A SVC ANIMAL BUT THIS DOG WAS SO LARGE THAT IT TOOK UP SPACE OUT INTO THE AISLE WHERE I HAD TO WALK FOR THE SVC. IT WAS DARK AND ANYONE COULD HAVE TRIPPED ON THE DOG. SHE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH CTL OVER THE DOG AND WHEN SHE WENT TO THE LAVATORY THE DOG TOOK OFF DOWN THE ECONOMY AISLE. I HAD TO PHYSICALLY RESTRAIN THE DOG WITH ITS LEASH. SHE ALSO HAD THE DOG DRINK OUT OF THE SINK IN THE FIRST CLASS LAVATORY BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T BRING A BOWL FOR HIM. THE DOG SMELLED AND HE GOT HAIR ON EVERYTHING INCLUDING THE SEATS AND ME. I FELT LIKE THE COMFORT AND SAFETY OF OTHERS WERE COMPROMISED BY SUCH A HUGE DOG. WE TOOK A DELAY WHILE THE CSR'S BOUGHT OFF THE PAX PLUS THEY ALLOWED THE PAX TO LEAVE HER DOG AND RETURN TO SECURITY TO RETRIEVE HER FORGOTTEN LAPTOP. THIS WAS AFTER SCHEDULED DEP TIME. IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE THAT PAX HAVE TO STORE THEIR LUGGAGE FOR TKOF BUT THAT A 200 LB DOG CAN BE LAYING ACROSS AN AISLE. THIS SITUATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH BEFORE THE PAX BOARDED. IT ALL MADE FOR A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE FLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.