October 2011 Airline Pet Travel Report

The October, 2011 Airline Pet Travel Report contains pet incidents for the month of August, 2011.

Alaska Airlines reports the death of a two year-old male Boxer. The owner was shipping his sick dog to a pet hospital in Anchorage, AK for treatment from possible rat poisoning. When the cargo door was opened in Anchorage, ramp agents found the dog deceased. It is unlikely this death was directly related to the flight.

Alaska Airlines also reports the injury of a seven year-old female Siberian husky. Upon landing in Seattle, WA ramp agents found the dog inside its kennel, tipped on its side, with its front paws bleeding. Alaska said no action was taken in regard to this incident, but it is unclear why the kennel shifted during flight.

American Airlines reports the loss of a cat named Jack during loading at John F. Kennedy International. Jack as since been found.

Continental reports the death of a 10 year-old Yorkshire Terrier named Chuy. Chuy was found deceased in Salt Lake City, UT on a flight from Houston, TX. The owners refused a necropsy and commented that their dog was very old and wasn’t well and had diabetes.

Delta reports the death of a 2 1/2 year-old German Short Hair Pointer. This is another incident where the dog had pre-existing injuries and it is not clear the the death was related to transport. Delta did publish a reminder on the importance of adherence to Delta Air Lines acceptance policies, confirming Delta does not accept animals which exhibit signs of injury, distress, or are demonstrating efforts to escape and that Delta reserves the right to refuse pets as checked baggage if the health of the animal is in question and/or if the animal’s health may be jeopardized by the extreme conditions.

Pet Travel Incidents by Airline during August, 2011.
Airline Losses Injuries Deaths
Alaska Airlines 0 1 1
American Airlines 1 0 0
Continental 0 0 1
Delta 0 0 1
Total 1 1 3

See all incidents included in the October, 2011 report.

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Source: October 2011 Air Travel Consumer Report.