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Couple's dog is flown 12000kms to the wrong country: 'Hell on earth'

A couple claim they are living a “nightmare” after their beloved pet dog Bluebell was flown almost 12,000kms to the wrong country, with the entire ordeal leaving the five-year-old rescue animal “traumatised”.

On December 1, Bluebell was set to travel by cargo on a British Airways flight from London to Tennessee in the US, where her owners Madison and James Miller have relocated.

However, it wasn’t until they arrived at the Nashville International Airport pick-up point that the pair realised she had been loaded onto the wrong plane. “I had months of nerves putting her on this plane,” Ms Miller told WSMV. “I’d heard so many horror stories.”

After hours of frantic searching and lots of tears, the couple — who said they paid top dollar to make sure Bluebell’s journey went well — were eventually told that their pet pup was actually in Saudi Arabia.

Madison hugging Bluebell the dog and a plane at the airport.
Madison and James Miller were horrified when their dog Bluebell was placed on the wrong plane and sent almost 12000kms away. Source: The Mirror/WSMV

Airport staff tracked down Bluebell and sent her owners a picture of her in her crate, confirming she was in Riyadh.

Ms Miller told The Mirror the airline was “unwilling to fly Bluebell directly back to her family in Nashville” so the already terrified rescue dog was forced to endure “three long-haul international flights”. “It was hell on earth. She's family. The absolute horror that I felt, I can't put it into words. I was so worried she was going to die in transit or I'd never be able to find her again,” she said.

After three sleepless nights and what Mr Miller described as “60 hours of straight hell”, the family was finally reunited, but the couple quickly discovered Bluebell was not the same dog they had said goodbye to in the airport. “I anticipated kind of like the reunion you see on YouTube,” Ms Miller told WSMV. “Like she comes out of the crate, she’s wagging and licking your face. [But] It was the opposite.”

Bluebell in her cage in Saudi Arabia and with airport staff.
Airport staff tracked down Bluebell and sent her owners a picture of her in her crate, confirming she was in Saudi Arabia. Source: WSMV/The Mirror

In a post on Facebook, Mr Miller said Bluebell was “confined to her crate almost the entire time”.

“She was scared, frightened, and alone. Bluebell has been hurt by this experience. She's a shell of herself, she's destructive, protective over resources (as she was barely fed), and in a constant panic. We'll need medication and training just to help her cope.”

Pet dog 'traumatised' after flight mix-up

The 27-year-old Brit told The Mirror the first time the couple left Bluebell alone in their new home, she ripped through her kennel.

“The next time she chewed through a wooden door crying the whole time. So now we can’t leave her — she could harm herself. Being apart from us is too traumatic for her,” he said, adding that she has caused thousands of dollars damage to the property.

Hefty vet bills to treat the dog’s behavioural problems and anxiety are also taking a toll on the couple, who hope to be compensated for the error. They are also demanding answers about how the mix-up happened in the first place.

Bluebell and a door she destroyed at the couple's new home. Source: WSMV
The couple say the error has taken a toll on Bluebell, who has caused thousands of dollars of damage at their new US home. Source: WSMV

A spokesperson for IAG Cargo, the company responsible for the mix-up, issued a statement to WSMV apologising for the “error that occurred during Bluebell’s trip to Nashville”.

“We take the responsibility of caring for people’s loved animals seriously and are investigating how the redirection happened. Whilst Bluebell’s route was longer than it should have been, we ensured she was on the first flight back to Nashville from London Heathrow.

“During her time with us she received refreshments frequently and had time outside to stretch her legs – including regular walks and eight hours with the team at the Heathrow Animal Reception centre who cared for her. Despite these measures, we understand that this has been an upsetting situation for Bluebell and her owners and remain in contact with them to resolve the situation.”

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