Mary Nguyen, 25, is claiming Delta Airlines kept Bunny, her 8-month-old German Shepherd pup, captive for 33 hours. The airline reportedly refused to release the dog unless she paid $3,000.
Nguyen reportedly contracted with the animal transporting company Pet Air Carrier and had already paid $3,000 to that company to ship her German Shepherd to Guatemala City, where her husband is currently living. The company is not, apparently, affiliated with Delta Airlines.
All documentation correct for the transfer
Nguyen is a student in Minneapolis and had to drive to Wisconsin to sign the paperwork necessary for the transfer of her dog to Central America on Wednesday.
However, when her husband tried to claim the German Shepherd at La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City, Delta Airlines told him the required paperwork for transferring the dog internationally had been left behind in the U.S. Even worse, according to Nguyen, the airline called for an additional $3,000 to hand the dog over.
Delta Airlines allegedly held this dog hostage for 33 hours - New York Post https://t.co/fmm4fXdYFV
— New York News (@NewYorkNews365) May 28, 2017
Airline had the correct paperwork the whole time
Nguyen told CBS that the airline had all the necessary documents on their computers, but refused to release Bunny without the hard copy they had left behind. Late on Friday the paperwork was finally tracked down by Delta Airlines and sent to Guatemala City.
However, Nguyen told CBS it took 33 hours, and many phone calls, to finally get their dog released.
Nguyen did say that the German Shepherd, which weighs 62 pounds, was a problem to transport due to her size. Reportedly, only certain aircraft can accept the large crate necessary to transport Bunny. She said United Airlines had refused to take the dog, but she was finally approved by Delta Airlines.
Delta Airlines to refund the cost of shipping the German Shepherd
CBS News was told by a spokesperson for Delta that they would be refunding the shipment cost to Nguyen. A Delta Airlines spokesperson told CBS News that the airline would refund the shipment cost. In their statement, Delta went on to say the airline knows pets are important members of the family and that their agents are working directly with the family over the incident.
Once the "hostage situation" was over, Nguyen posted on Instagram that Bunny had finally been released. She added that the dog had some open wounds and that they would be taking the German Shepherd to the vet as soon as possible.
Airline is second highest in animal deaths
According to a report by Market Watch, Delta Airlines has been in the news before for problems with transporting animals, with five animals dying and five injured during 2016, which is reportedly the second-highest rate among the top U.S. domestic airlines. However, they note United Airlines is number one on the list with nine animals dying and 14 injured during flights. Blasting News reported recently on the death of a prized giant rabbit on a United Airlines flight, while on its way from the U.K. to its new celebrity owner in the U.S.
