United apologises after dog dies on flight

DISTRAUGHT passengers have reacted with fury after a flight attendant’s orders led to tragedy. WARNING: Confronting.

WARNING: DISTRESSING IMAGE

UNITED Airlines says it takes “full responsibility” for the death of a dog that was kept in a plane cabin’s overhead compartment during a flight from Texas to New York.

According to passenger Maggie Gremminger, who posted her account of the tragedy on Facebook, the dog, understood to have been about 10 months old, was travelling in a TSA-approved dog carrier with a woman and her two children.

Ms Gremminger said a flight attendant forced the reluctant woman to put her dog and the dog carrier in the overhead compartment, even though the woman tried to resist.

She eventually did what she was told and the plane began its journey. By the time it arrived at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, the dog was dead.

“Tonight I was on a plane where I witnessed a @united flight attendant instruct a passenger to place her dog carrier (with dog) in the overhead compartment. The passenger adamantly refused but the flight attendant went on with instruction,” Ms Gremminger said.

“At the end of the flight — the dog was found (dead) in the carrier. I am heartbroken right now. I didn’t question the flight attendant, but I could have.

“I assumed there must be ventilation as surely the flight attendant wouldn’t have instructed this otherwise. I heard the dog barking a little and we didn’t realise it was barking a cry for help.

“... I was even trying to look up info online before we took off because it felt like it wasn’t right.”

After the plane landed and the dog’s lifeless body was found in the overhead bin, its distraught owner cried on the floor of cabin, Ms Gremminger said.

She said the airline’s response to the situation was underwhelming.

“The flight attendant was very frazzled afterwards. I couldn’t make sense of it. She said she didn’t know there was a dog, but it was insanely clear, and I heard the passenger tell her that her dog was in the carrier.

“ ... I’m in shock right now. Tweeting those few tweets was hard enough. To make things worse, @united offered me a $US75 ($95) credit. I’m so disgusted and sad for that family. ”

I want to help this woman and her daughter. They lost their dog because of an @united flight attendant. My heart is broken. pic.twitter.com/mjXYAhxsAq

— MaggieGremminger (@MaggieGrem) March 13, 2018

Another passenger, June Lara, wrote on Facebook about the incident.

“Today, I boarded my first United Airlines flight,” he said. “On my way, I saw a Frenchie that looked identical to my own precious Winston. He was with his family — a young girl, no older than 8, her toddler sibling and their mother.

“He was meant to grow, learn, cry, play with those young children and be their furry friend. He was meant to live a long life filling that family’s days with that special joy that only a dog can bring.

“I sat behind the family of three and thought myself lucky — who doesn’t when they get to sit near a puppy? However, the flight attendants ... felt that the innocent animal was better off crammed inside the overhead container without air and water. They insisted that the puppy be locked up for three hours without any kind of airflow. They assured the safety of the family’s pet so wearily, the mother agreed.

“There was no sound as we landed and opened his kennel. There was no movement as his family called his name. I held her baby as the mother attempted to resuscitate their 10 month old puppy. I cried with them three minutes later as she sobbed over his lifeless body. My heart broke with theirs as I realised he was gone.

“The Humane Society of the US says air travel can be risky for pets and especially dangerous for brachycephalic breeds — such as pugs or bulldogs, whose short nasal passages make them vulnerable to oxygen deprivation and heat stroke.

“This little guy fought hard for his life, filling our flight with his cries until he finally ran out of breath ... There is no excuse for the pain this family is suffering.”

Dogs are often placed under seats, not in overhead bins.

The incident has sparked a flurry of furious comments on social media.

“They need to fire that flight attendant. That’s animal cruelty!” one person posted on Facebook.

“This is horrible, sick and wrong,” another said.

Another Facebook user said the story made left them “absolutely horrified and speechless”.

Ms Gremminger said the was “disgusted and traumatised” by the incident.

“Pets are family,” she added. “How could a trained flight attendant instruct a passenger to place her dog in that bin. It was her job to understand the plane and its rules/limitations.”

What the hell is wrong with people recently? Why anybody in their right mind would suggest to put a dog into the overhead compartment? Was that flight attendant brain dead?? Of course the dog died!@united @peta

— Larissa Fedotov (@SaucyWalker63) March 13, 2018

It was certainly United's bad re: deceased dog, but was there no one on that plane to stand up and say "this isn't right?" We stand up for...a lot...in this country as is our right. Did no one think that would end up badly?

— Ryan Stanzel (@rstanzel) March 13, 2018

Never flying @united. Between the passenger dragging and the dog killing I'd rather walk.

— jon ronson (@jonronson) March 13, 2018

I don’t know how I’ll sleep tonight. It was clearly a dog in a TSA approved dog bag. Why would the flight attendant force the woman to put her dog there? I could have done something. I’m so upset.

— MaggieGremminger (@MaggieGrem) March 13, 2018

United Airlines took responsibility for the incident in a statement to news.com.au.

“This was a tragic accident that should never have occurred, as pets should never be placed in the overhead bin,” a spokesman for United said.

“We assume full responsibility for this tragedy and express our deepest condolences to the family and are committed to supporting them. We are thoroughly investigating what occurred to prevent this from ever happening again.”

He said the passenger was told to put the carrier in the overhead bin because the bag was partly obstructing the aisle. It’s not clear why the carrier was not placed under a seat, the spokesman said.

United Airlines has a poor record for pet deaths on-board its flights.

United's rules on travelling with pets. Picture: Screenshot

In August, the airline was blamed for the death of Lulu, a five-year-old King Charles spaniel, who died in the cargo hold during a flight.

And in April, a high-profile giant rabbit named Simon died in the cargo section on a United flight from London to Chicago.

The airline faced legal action from Simon’s owner, former Playboy model Annette Edwards.

Annette Edwards with her rabbit.

So is it safe to fly with pets? According to the US Department of Transportation, just over half a million pets flew in cargo in 2016 and of those, 26 died and 22 were injured. That’s a rate of less than 1 death per 10,000 pets.

Originally published as United apologises after dog dies on flight