A pit bull emotional support dog recently mauled a five-year-old’s face at the Portland OR airport. She had moved close to him when the sudden attack happened. 

The dog was stressed by airport noise, crowds and confusion, resulting in the unexpected reaction. Your travel4seniors.com editor was also hurt recently in a similar incident. When I stroked the head of a costumed dog during a noisy holiday street parade, he quickly bit my hand. It caused a large, deep bloody wound that required many stitches.

Lesson learned? In your travels, always be careful about petting comfort dogs in airports and elsewhere with large crowds, loud noise and other stressful conditions that could frighten them. Be friendly, but keep a safe  distance.