Puppies Die Aboard American Airlines Jet

[Gilypoo]

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/7940530/s...uring-us-flight

Seven puppies died after flying in the cargo hold of an American Airlines jet.

American said it contacted the shipper who put the puppies on a Tuesday morning flight from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Chicago, and is investigating further.

Airline spokeswoman Mary Frances Fagan said Wednesday the shipper put 14 puppies aboard Flight 851, which was scheduled to leave Tulsa at 6:30 am local time but was delayed an hour by storms in Chicago.

American said on its website it won't carry warm-blooded animals if the actual or forecast temperature is above 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29.44 Celsius). As the plane sat on the tarmac in Tulsa, it was already 86 degrees before 7 am, according to the National Weather Service.

Fagan said cargo holds carrying animals are routinely kept between 50 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Baggage handlers taking the puppies to a kennel area at O'Hare Airport grew concerned because they looked lethargic. Employees tried to cool down the dogs, and they were taken to a vet's office, but five died initially and two others died later, Fagan said.

Several of the puppies were headed to connecting flights. Fagan declined to identify the shipper or say whether American had taken animals from the same shipper before and, if so, whether there had been problems with any previous flights.

"We don't disclose information about our shippers any more than we disclose information about our passengers," she said.

In guidelines to customers, American says it reserves the right to refuse to ship aggressive animals or one that "does not appear fit to travel." It also says it won't take dogs or cats that have been sedated. It asks shippers about each animal's breed, size and age.

Fagan said dogs and cats must be at least eight weeks old. She said she didn't know the breed or breeds of the dead puppies.

Last month, the U.S. Department of Transportation said short-faced dogs such as pugs and bulldogs accounted for about half of the 122 dogs that died during U.S. flights in the last five years. Veterinarians say those dogs are more likely to have breathing problems.

The department said the deaths were an extremely small percentage of the total number of pets carried by airlines.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recommends that owners only put a pet on a plane if it's small enough to fit under a seat in the passenger cabin.

Poor Pups.. What an awful way to die... ;)

Edited August 5, 2010 by Gilypoo

[Kirislin]

Yes I saw this on another forum and one of the people there is about to fly a pup tomorrow with Continental ;) they've got the worst record of all. I hope it will be OK.

[Gilypoo]

Yes I saw this on another forum and one of the people there is about to fly a pup tomorrow with Continental ;) they've got the worst record of all. I hope it will be OK.

i think you need to weigh all options.. I personally wouldnt import from overseas on long flights. But in saying that I did get one of my girls from NSW.. I also made sure it was a cool day and had a courtesy stop..

Such a tragedy..

I hope the OP pup is ok

[Little Gifts]

That has to be the cruelest way for an animal to die. Incredibly sad for all involved as I doubt staff want to see that happen anymore than an owner does. Let's hope it prompts a change in rules or better adherance to the existing rules so more aren't lost.

[mortonplace]

Poor babys l nevre fly any dogs/pups durring summer

To risky also tarmats are way hotter than the days temp

and there staff dont really know what a stressed dog/pup looks like nor have they the permission to act if they did

l feel things like this will nevr stop till the pets are not treated as luggage but in fact animals

[poodlefan]

I wonder how old the pups were and their origin.

Oklahoma is puppy farm country.

[Linda K]

how awful, poor puppies RIP little ones

[cowanbree]

It is not actually the flights that are the issue as when it is in the air the hold is temperature controlled. What you have to watch is load/offloading and stopovers as the dogs can be left on the tarmac or the air conditioning isn’t working effectively

[jazawayaya]

I'm not sure but surely dogs arent allowed stashed under seats here in OZ?

[Christina]

Sad & scary.

Confusing as well. Do the shippers load the dogs on the plane ? or airline staff ?

Why were they allowed on if the temp was already too high ? If the cargo hold is kept at a particular safe temp why wasn't it so on this day ? Hard to say who was to blame from this info.

Some countries do allow dogs to travel with the passengers as long as they are crated & small enough. Something I would prefer given the choice. Not here though.

[JD19]

Sad & scary.

Confusing as well. Do the shippers load the dogs on the plane ? or airline staff ?

Why were they allowed on if the temp was already too high ? If the cargo hold is kept at a particular safe temp why wasn't it so on this day ? Hard to say who was to blame from this info.

Some countries do allow dogs to travel with the passengers as long as they are crated & small enough. Something I would prefer given the choice. Not here though.

The ground crew for the airlines load and un-load all cargo, including animals. As far as the cargo hold temperature, I'm not sure how that system works. If it's anything like the passenger cabin system then it wouldn't fully kick in until the bird is in the air and operating at full power. And, as has been said, temperature on the tarmac is usually much hotter than actual air temp due to the sun heating up the asphalt.

[TrinaJ]

so sad... run free puppies

[Sheridan]

The ground crew for the airlines load and un-load all cargo, including animals. As far as the cargo hold temperature, I'm not sure how that system works. If it's anything like the passenger cabin system then it wouldn't fully kick in until the bird is in the air and operating at full power. And, as has been said, temperature on the tarmac is usually much hotter than actual air temp due to the sun heating up the asphalt.

It's a switch in the cockpit that must be manually switched on by the cabin crew.

[mac'ella]

I once aquired a pup for my sister in QLD and flew her up.they recommended the latest flight possible and this was in winter and a short flight.I guess its easier to keep the cargo hold warm than cool.