After dog died in overhead carrier on United Airlines plane, they sent family pet to wrong city

JUST days after a dog died in an overhead carrier on a United flight, the troubled airline has failed another family pet with a shocking mistake.

A MATTER of days after a dog died in an overhead carrier on a United flight, the troubled airline has failed another family pet with a shocking mistake.

A US family say their dog was mistakenly flown to Japan instead of to their new home city of Kansas.

Kara and Joseph Swindle, along with their children and 10-year-old German Shepherd Irgo, were moving to Kansas from the West Coast.

But when they went to the United Airlines cargo facility after landing, they discovered a Great Dane dog waiting for them, who was supposed to end up in Japan.

Mrs Swindle told KCTV5 United acknowledged they had accidentally sent Irgo to Japan, and will be flown back by the weekend.

MORE: Family who’s dog died on United flight break their silence

United Airlines mistakenly sent a family dog to Japan instead of Kansas. Picture: KCTV5

“I don’t know if he’s going to be able to sustain this flight, because he is a 10-year-old dog, and he’s never been on a flight before,” Mrs Swindle said.

“I honestly don’t know if he’s going to survive this flight.”

Mrs Swindle said that United didn’t know how the mistake happened, but she was told by the airline that the kennels were “similar.”

A United Airlines spokesman said: “An error occurred during connections in Denver for two pets sent to the wrong destinations. We have notified our customers that their pets have arrived safely and will arrange to return the pets to them as soon as possible. We apologise for this mistake and are following up with the vendor kennel where they were kept overnight to understand what happened.”

It is two fails involving famil dogs for the troubled airline in less than a week. Picture: United

It comes as a heartbroken family’s dog died on-board a United plane earlier this week.

Sophia Ceballos, who spoke on behalf of her mother Catalina Robledo, claimed a flight attendant lied about what really happened on the flight from Houston to New York.

The family had been instructed by the cabin crew member to place the bag containing their young french bulldog in the overhead locker, as it was blocking the aisle.

When they heard their dog barking during the four-hour trip, the family said they attempted to alert the crew to the severity of the situation and get help for their pet. They claim they were ignored.

Kokito the french bulldog died on a United Airlines flight. Pictured: ABC13

“While we were flying, the dog started barking and barking and there was no flight attendants coming,” a teary Sophia told ABC 13.

“We couldn’t stand up because there was a lot of turbulence so we weren’t allowed to.”
Sophia said when she discovered the dog had died, the flight attendant tried to claim she hadn’t realised the French Bulldog was in the bag.