Video shows woman being removed from Southwest flight over pet allergy

(FOX 11) - A passenger on a Southwest flight Tuesday from Baltimore to Los Angeles was pulled off of the plane after saying she had a life-threatening dog allergy with two dogs on board.

Airline officials said an emotional support dog and a pet were both on the plane. The woman reportedly claimed to be extremely allergic to dogs and wanted the animals removed.

She told officials she needed to stay on the plane because her father was having surgery.

Southwest officials said she was unable to provide a medical certificate to prove the life-threatening allergy to pets.

Local law enforcement was brought on board to help control the situation. At some point, officials decided it was best to remove her from the plane and video shows the woman being physically removed from the flight.

Southwest Airlines released the following statement regarding the incident:

We are disheartened by the way this situation unfolded and the Customer's removal by local law enforcement officers. We publicly offer our apologies to this Customer for her experience and we will be contacting her directly to address her concerns. Southwest Airlines was built on Customer Service, and it is always our goal for all Customers to have a positive experience.

Initial reports indicate the Customer in the video stated that she had a life-threatening pet allergy, but she was unable to provide the medical certificate necessary to complete travel. There was one emotional support animal and one pet onboard the aircraft. Our policy states that a Customer (without a medical certificate) may be denied boarding if they report a life-threatening allergic reaction and cannot travel safely with an animal onboard. Our Flight Crew made repeated attempts to explain the situation to the Customer, however, she refused to deplane and law enforcement became involved.