A mom is suing for $1.1 million after her young daughter was mauled by an 'emotional support' pit bull while waiting to board an Alaska Airlines flight

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Portland International Airport.

• A mother is suing after her young daughter was mauled by an emotional support dog in December 2017 while waiting to board an Alaska Airlines flight at Portland International Airport.
• The mother, Mirna Gonzalez filed suit on behalf of her daughter Gabriella in Oregon state court on Monday. Gonzalez is seeking $1.1 million in damages from the dog owner, Alaska Airlines, and the Port of Portland, the operator of Portland International Airport.
• The suite claims the five-year-old suffered injuries to the muscles, tendons, bones, nerves, and soft tissue of her face, eye, eyelid, tear duct, and lip along with emotional trauma.
• As a result of these injuries, the girl required surgery to repair her "complex facial lacerations and a damaged tear duct."

A mother is suing after her young daughter was mauled by an emotional support dog in December 2017 while waiting to board an Alaska Airlines flight at Portland International Airport.

The mother, Mirna Gonzalez filed suit on behalf of her daughter Gabriella in Oregon state court on Monday. Gonzalez is seeking $1.1 million in damages from the dog owner, Alaska Airlines, and the Port of Portland, the operator of Portland International Airport.

According to the suit, an emotional support pit bull owned by Michelle Brannan attacked Gabriella Gonzalez, then age five, while she was waiting at Gate C7 to board an Alaska Airlines flight.

According to the complaint, Gabriella suffered injuries to the muscles, tendons, bones, nerves, and soft tissue of her face, eye, eyelid, tear duct, and lip along with emotional trauma. As a result of these injuries, the girl required surgery to repair her "complex facial lacerations and a damaged tear duct."

Read more: Delta has barred all emotional-support animals on long flights.

The family is asking for $100,000 in economic damages to cover existing and future medical expenses along with $1 million in non-economic damages.

"We're heartbroken by this tragic and disturbing incident and remain very concerned for our guests' condition," Alaska Airlines said in a statement to Business Insider. " We are not able to comment on the case given it is pending litigation."

A Portland Airport spokesman declined to comment on the lawsuit.

The growing number of emotional support animals on commercial aircraft has become a hot button issue in recent years. While there are many who truly require the support of such an animal to fly, there are also a significant number of people who use ESA privileges as a way for their family pets to fly for free.

As a result, industry trade group Airlines For America reported a 74% increase in the number of emotional support animals traveling on America's major airlines. During that same period, Delta Air Lines reported an 84% increase in the number of reported incidents involving emotional support and service animals on board its flights including urination, defecation, and biting.