Social media blew up on Monday nights with posts written by passengers who had been flying on a United Airlines flight from Houston to New York where a horrible tragedy occurred as a result of the actions of a flight attendant.
Maggie Gremminger and June Lara both posted on Twitter and Facebook respectively about a family who brought their dog on board their flight. The pup was securely placed inside a pet carrier that met all TSA rules, yet a flight attendant insisted that the dog and his carrier be placed in an overhead bin during the flight.
The parent of the dog, who was travelling with her two children, tried to resist and asked if the dog could not be placed under their seat, as stated in United Airlines’ policies. However, the flight attendant was extremely insistent on the matter and eventually, the pup’s parent felt forced to comply. She agreed, and the carrier with the pup inside it was placed in an overhead luggage compartment.
Throughout the flight, barking could be heard, and when the flight landed, a horrifying truth was discovered. The poor pup had died due to suffocation while in the overhead bin. His family attempted to resuscitate him but to no avail. He was only 10 months old.
Twitter @MaggieGremminger
In the backlash against United Airlines, which is no stranger to coming under fire for the actions of its staff, the company released a statement saying that they accept full responsibility for the grievous mistake and are investigating the circumstances of the events. United Airlines policy also states that pet carriers should be stowed underneath the seat of the passenger during flight.
To all pup parents travelling with their pets, please do not agree to stow away your dog in overhead compartments! We wish the affected family our condolences in coping with this loss.
Feature Image Source: Facebook