18 animals were killed and 13 injured during their transport in United Airlines last year
The United Airlines is once again going through a major PR nightmare after a 10-month-old French Bulldog was suffocated to death onboard after a flight attendant insisted the owner on keeping her pet inside the overhead cabin throughout her three-and-a-half-hour journey from Houston to New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
According to Facebook posts of fellow passengers, Maggie Gremminger, along with her two children and her dog, boarded the flight and wanted to keep the pet’s kennel under her seat. However, the flight attendant wanted the dog to be put in the overhead cabin.
Upon landing at the LaGuardia Airport, Gremminger and her children found the dog dead. The family sat in the airplane aisle on the floor crying.
One of her fellow passengers posted a photo of Gremminger and her children on Twitter saying: “I want to help this woman and her daughter. They lost their dog because of an @united flight attendant. My heart is broken.”
Another passenger on board wrote on Facebook that within minutes after the flight took off they could hear the barking of the dog but soon it subsided.
“There was no sound as we landed and opened his kennel,” passenger June Lara wrote in a Facebook post. “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.”
The ordeal that the family had to go through has become viral on social media with many blaming the airlines for animal cruelty. Last year, a giant continental rabbit was found dead inside United Airlines flight on arrival at the Chicago O’Hare Airport.
According to Department of Transportation (DOT) report, 18 animals were killed and 13 injured during their transport in United Airlines, making it the worst airlines when it comes to animal safety.
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“This was a tragic accident that should never have occurred, as pets should never be placed in the overhead bin. 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,” a United spokesperson said.
A video posted by Fox Anchor Linda Schmidt shows the French Bulldog playing around with its master and she adds in her tweet that the Gremminger had paid in advance to keep the dog in a carrier under the seat.
“A pet traveling in a cabin must be carried in an approved hard-sided or soft-sided kennel. The kennel must fit completely under the seat in front of the customer and remain there at all times,” as per rules outlined by United Airlines for passengers traveling with In-Cabin Pets.
Social Media Update
https://twitter.com/AlexMLeo/status/973664143998939136
This is French Bulldog that died after United flight attendant made owner put dog in overhead bin. Owner had paid in advance to keep dog in carrier under seat. United is taking responsibility. story tonight on @fox5ny #dogs #UnitedAirlines @beckycartercook @DebraCheatham pic.twitter.com/In6MSsL6qD
— Linda Schmidt (@LSchmidtFox5) March 13, 2018
1 Comment
This is a huge act of negligence & animal cruelty!! If the woman paid extra to have the carrier then why was the carrier put in an unventalated overhead bin??!! Simply taking responsibility is not enough!! Imagine the horror & shock among the plethora of other emotions this family felt upon discovering their little fur baby had expired!! I sincerely hope all pet parents and pet lovers & animal lovers alike share this story as well as United being fined (excessively) for this heinous act!! Truly disturbing and heartbreaking!