TSA canine handler at DTW under investigation after aggressively pulling dog

ROMULUS, Mich. (FOX 2) - A TSA canine handler is under investigation after a video captured him aggressively pulling his dog.

The video was taken at Detroit Metro Airport and has since gone viral.

The video shows the canine handler walking back and forth. Each time he made a turn, he aggressively pulled the dog.

FOX 2 spoke to Michael Burkey — the owner of Michigan Dog Training and a former police canine handler who’s been training dogs for over two decades.

"One, it doesn’t look good; it looks horrible. Two the dog’s not learning from it, and it’s just rough on the dog - don’t need to be," said Burkey. "The dog wasn’t ready to be put in that situation that many distractions. Should have been more training of the dog and more training of the handler."

TSA says that the handler has since been removed from his duties. They released the following statement: 

"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 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."

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