The Puppy boarded the united airlines flight in a typical pet carrier and, as per the airline's rules, the family placed the carrier under their seat. According to fellow travelers, the flight attendant was very insistent that the puppy be stored in the overhead locker and reassured the family that their pet would be safe. Tired of arguing, the mother agreed, and the puppy was placed in the overhead bin. The puppy was traveling with a woman, her teenage daughter, and a small baby, and throughout most of the three-hour flight, the puppy could be heard barking and crying.
Finally, the puppy became silent.
The Express reported that a fellow passenger by the name of June wrote on Facebook that no sounds were coming from the puppy by the time the plane had landed. On opening the locker and calling his name, the mother discovered that the puppy had died. June added that she held the baby while the mother tried desperately to resuscitate the small puppy but to no avail.
Puppy locked in overhead compartment without air
Unbeknownst to the family and other travelers, the 10-month old puppy had been locked up for three hours in an overhead locker which had no kind of airflow whatsoever. Passengers stated that their flight was filled with the cries of the puppy as he tried so desperately to survive the three-hour flight stuffed in the overhead compartment.
Sadly, he ran out of breath.
More problems for United Airlines
This shocking saga has created yet another social media backlash against United airlines. It was only last year that United Airlines suffered a huge slump in market value after flight attendants forcibly dragged a 69-year-old doctor off a flight to accommodate their own staff.
Maggie Gremminger tweeted that she wanted to help the puppy's family. She added "This family lost their puppy because of a United Airlines flight attendant. My heart is broken. There's simply no excuse for this family's suffering." Gremminger said: "This family paid United Airlines $125 for their puppy to be murdered. United don't care about the safety of our pets".
Finally, she added: "Today I boarded my last United Airlines flight."
According to a spokesperson for United Airlines, this tragic incident should never have occurred because pets are not to be placed in the overhead bins. The spokesman expressed United's deepest condolences to the family, adding that they accept full responsibility for the tragedy.
United Airlines website states that their policy for onboard pets is that pets traveling in a cabin should be carried in an approved kennel which must comfortably fit under the passenger's seat. It must stay there at all times during the flight.
