An airplane passenger has sparked a furious debate about whether pets should be allowed to fly in-cabin after detailing a horrifying incident in which a dog's 'messy accident' forced a flight to divert. .

In the US, it's not uncommon to see pets on board a domestic flight, provided they meet certain weight and size requirements, while in other countries passenger's fur babies may be restricted to traveling in cargo.

However, a recent incident on a United Airlines flight - which was forced to land half-way through its journey after a dog relieved himself outside the first class bathroom - has ignited a fierce debate about this policy.

In a poll of DailyMail.com readers, which asked 'should dogs be banned from airplane cabins?',  an overwhelming 68 per cent answered 'yes.'

14 per cent of respondents said 'no,' while the remaining  18 per cent believes that animals should not be banned if they are trained properly.

Furious debate has erupted over whether dogs should be allowed to continue flying in airplane cabins after a pooch had a 'messy' accident on a flight that forced it to divert  (stock image)

A United Airlines flight was forced to land after a dog relieved himself in the aisle of the plane - right outside the first class bathroom, a spokesperson confirmed to DailyMail.com

The messy incident behind the poop-debate was captured by Reddit user gig_wizard, who said they were on the five-hour Flight 422 from Houston to Seattle on Friday, April 7, when the incident occurred.

'Dog had messy accident in the aisle right in first class,' the passenger wrote alongside the photo.

The Reddit user said the flight was diverted to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, where the ground crew spent over two hours trying to clean the carpet with paper towels, noting the smell made them ill.

'Gate agents kept yelling at passengers and the cabin crew,' they continued.

'The smell never quite went away.'

The multi-hour cleaning effect was ultimately unsuccessful, after the first class toilet declared unusable.

'The dog mess was apparently unresolved in there,' the passenger wrote. 'Food went bad while on the ground so very few snacks left.'

In an email to DailyMail.com, United Airlines confirmed that the incident had occurred but declined to share any other details. 

According to the Department of Transportation, if pets are traveling on airlines they must comply with requirements on transport of animals by a Federal agency, a U.S. territory, or a foreign jurisdiction.

The website notes that airlines may require: a U.S. DOT form attesting to the animal’s health, behavior, and training; and a U.S. DOT form attesting that the animal can either not relieve itself or can relieve itself in a sanitary manner, if the animal will be on a flight that is 8 or more hours.

However, comments on the post slammed people who bring their dogs on flights, many calling for them to be restricted to cargo.

Comments on the post slammed people who bring their dogs on flights, some even sharing their own stories

'Get dogs off the f**king planes unless they fit in a carrier under the seat and they stay there,' was one person's opinion.

'This HAS to have cost United a f**k ton more than the ticket,' another guessed. 'You would think they would start individually banning bad dog owners from bringing their “service” pets.'

'All animals need to either be in a crate or in the cargo hold. Only service animals should be for the blind. You don't need an "emotional support dog" for a freaking plane ride,' one user raged.

'Dog people are crazy and I am sick of the "he's my baby" mentality of owners. It's a freaking animal. And the owner should be made to clean that mess up. Take a dog on a plane-clean up your mess,' they concluded.

Another user agreed, sharing they moved to Germany recently and had to fly with their pet.

'I don’t want my dog in cargo, but that’s where most dogs belong,' they wrote. 'Too many people have main character energy and think their dog should be in cabin. If it’s a carrier fine, but so many aren’t. There are legit service dogs, but the rules have got way too lax.'

In January, passengers were horrified after a fellow traveler pooped their pants on their flight - and left the feces 'spread out like peanut butter' all over the seat.

One of the disgusted travelers took to Reddit to share their dismay over the situation - and it quickly went viral, while sparking some suggestions that it may have been a fabricated story.