24 Pets Died on U.S. Airlines Last Year. A Shocking Number Flew United.
Jackie Reddy March 15, 2018
The death of a puppy stowed in an overhead compartment on a flight from Texas to New York has highlighted United’s pet transportation record. According to Department of Transportation statistics, United flew 138,178 pets in 2017, the majority of which arrived at their destinations unharmed.
United Airlines has taken full responsibility for an incident in which a dog died after being put in the overhead bin of a flight from Texas to New York on Monday. Passenger Catelina Robledo was traveling with her two children and their French bulldog puppy, which was initially stowed in its carrier in the under seat area, when a member of cabin crew reportedly forced her to put the dog in the overhead bin.
As the dog was being transported in the main cabin and not as part of United’s PetSafe cargo program, it has been confirmed that it should have remained in its carrier underneath the seat area. Commenting to CNN on Tuesday, a spokesperson for United said, “We are thoroughly investigating what occurred to prevent this from ever happening again.”
Nevertheless, the incident has highlighted the carrier’s track record when it comes to the transportation of pets.
HuffPost reports that, in information obtained from the U.S. Department of Transportation, United has had the highest incidence of animal deaths and injuries for 2017. Taken as a whole, 24 pet deaths occurred across U.S. carriers, 18 of which occurred on United.
It is worth mentioning that this data take into account only the deaths and injuries for pets traveling as part of the carrier’s aforementioned PetSafe program. It’s also worth noting that, during 2017, United flew more pets than any other carrier as part of this program.
In last year alone, 138,178 pets were transported under United’s PetSafe program, 31 of which were involved in incidents. Out of this total of 31, 18 died and 13 were injured. The majority of animals and pets flown by United arrived safely at their final destinations.
United spokesperson Charlie Hobart reiterated a point made by veterinary experts: that most animal deaths occur due to circumstances beyond the airline’s control, including prior medical conditions.
Commenting on the situation, Hobart said, “Any time there’s a death or an incident, United does a thorough review. We reach out to the customer, offer our support and condolences, and we work to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.”
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Lakeviewsteve - No it's not OK if pets die on United, because they should not have been brought aboard in the first place
When are airlines going to decide if they are in the people carrying business or the animal transporting business? Animals if transported should be in the cargo hold......nobody else on the airplane wants to sit next to, cuddle or smell your pet cat, dog, peacock, owl, squirrel, etc. And that idea of “emotional support” Is a joke. Do you bring your pet to your office, classroom or job everyday for emotional support? Or is this just a way to get Fluffy to Grandma’s house for the kids and save some money instead of using a kennel.....like everyone else?
Article is right, 0,0173% of all pets transported is indeed a shocking number.
I'm really sick and tired of all the great publicity United gives itself about how it is improving, what they will be doing for the customer, etc. That hasn't happened since they started with the new CEO. He is just as bad as they one they fired. Why is it taking so long for United to get it's act together?
JiminOhio, what an awful post. So you think it is ok pets die on United, or did you read the wrong article?