'Horrendous': Virgin Australia slammed after dog left on tarmac
A woman has shared a disturbing photo of a dog sitting on a tarmac at the airport waiting to board a flight, while luggage is packed on to the plane.
“Thought airlines were supposed to change their policy on animals boarding flight after the luggage and not sitting on the tarmac?” the woman wrote on Facebook, tagging Virgin Australia.
“It’s 34 degrees in Sydney, I could only imagine how hot this poor dog is! Not good enough.”
The woman who shared the photo also said the dog was “panting so hard” while waiting to board the plane, which was flying to Adelaide on February 26.
“What these photos don’t show is how long that container sat there!” she said in a comment on the post.
“Another trolly of luggage came after the photo I posted. As a mum of two bulldogs and the recent tragedies I really hope you do something about this.”
“This is horrendous,” one person commented on the post.
The shocking photos have emerged after two dogs died on flights late last year.
It is not clear how long the dog was sitting on the tarmac or if it suffered any injuries.
Anthony Balletta was flying from Sydney to Melbourne just before Christmas, 2019 on a Qantas flight with his bulldog Frank but his furry friend didn’t make it.
In another incident that same month a New South Wales family were left demanding answers after their beloved French bulldog died on a flight back home from Townsville.
Virgin Australia insists all proper procedures were followed
Virgin Australia responded to the woman’s Facebook post, asking her to provide further information so they can investigate the ordeal on their side.
In a statement to Yahoo News Australia, Virgin Australia said all procedures were followed by the team when loading pets on this particular flight.
“In line with standard procedures, the pet was kept in a shaded area next to the baggage belt to protect it from the elements.
“Our team conducted a final water and welfare check on the pet before it was loaded.
“It only takes a few minutes to load pets onto the aircraft and this pet was only brought out onto the tarmac when it was required for loading.”
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