In May 2018, Matthew and Hazel were traveling with their two children and service dog from Colorado Springs to Orlando when a terrible encounter took place.
Matthew and Hazel are both deaf, so they rely on their sweet Great Dane, Zariel, to assist them in everyday life. Zariel was well-behaved and slept through the flight, they say. When the plane landed in Florida, she woke up and stretched out her stiff legs.
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But apparently, one of the passengers seated near the family thought the Great Dane was taking up too much space. The couple says he punched Zariel with a closed fist to get her to move away from him and his wife.
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According to the couple, their dog was so scared she let out a yelp and hid under a seat.
Matthew and Hazel were stunned and told the irate man to never lay a hand on a service animal. As the plane taxied to the gate, the mayhem continued.
That's when things took an even more violent turn. The passenger allegedly turned his attention to Hazel — who was 20 weeks pregnant at the time. She says she was punched directly in the belly.
