Plane diverted for small dog bites

PITTSBURGH, Dec. 6 (UPI) -- US Airways said a flight from New Jersey to Phoenix was diverted in Pittsburgh when a small dog got loose and bit two people.

The airline said the dog's owner, one of the 122 passengers on Monday's Flight 522 from Newark, was supposed to leave the canine in its carrier under her seat in accordance with airline policy, but she let the animal out and it bit another passenger and a flight attendant once it was free, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Monday.

The pilot diverted the plane to Pittsburgh about 7:22 a.m., the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported.

"The captain felt in the interest of safety, it was better to land and have them looked at than continue on," airline spokesman Todd Lehmacher said.

The bite victims were treated for their minor wounds at Pittsburgh International Airport.