Puppy dies after air crew 'insist owner puts pet in overhead compartment'
A 10-month-old puppy died on a United Airlines flight because flight attendants allegedly insisted on the dog going in the overhead compartment for the duration of the flight.
Shortly after boarding United Flight 1284 from Houston to New York the passenger was told to put her French Bulldog, who was inside a Transportation Security Administration-approved carrier, in the overhead compartment, Chron.com reports.
Passengers say they heard the animal barking occasionally but by the time they landed, there was no noise from him.
Fellow passenger June Lara was sitting behind the woman during the flight and claims the pup was put in the compartment "without air and water".
"I sat behind the family of three and thought myself lucky - who doesn't when they get to sit near a puppy?" Mr Lara wrote on Facebook.
"However, the flight attendants of flight UA1284 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."
Mr Lara said by the time they got off the flight, about three hours later, the dog was dead.
"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," he wrote.
"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."
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Fellow passenger, Maggie Gremminger, who also witnessed the incident, said she was "disgusted and traumatised" by the incident.
"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," she wrote on Twitter.
A United Airlines spokesperson said the company admits the dog should never have been put in the overhead bin.
“This was a tragic accident that should never have occurred, as pets should never be placed in the overhead bin," the spokesperson 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.”
According to United's pet policy, animals must be in a carrier and "fit completely under the seat in front of the customer and remain there at all times".
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