Originally Posted by
notquiteaff
Data point: In Sept the DOT reports that one dog was (temporarily) lost and one was injured. Both on Alaska.
https://www.transportation.gov/sites...023%20ATCR.pdf
Wonder what the injury or death rate is per passenger compared to per cargo animal. (loss rate: Spirit just temporarily lost a UM, so human passengers aren’t entirely safe from that risk either).
My guess is that pets in the cargo hold are still relatively safe, especially when compared to alternative modes of transportation (I am picturing unsecured dogs in cars or on the bag of pickup trucks).
Keep in mind that they have to make a policy for "dogs", but not all dogs are the same. As I recall, Delta experienced a couple of French Bulldogs dying a few years ago. Dogs with extremely short snouts (brachycephalic), such as Frenchies, pugs, chow chows, boxers, etc don't seem to be as tolerant to the changes in air pressure (combined with the stress of traveling alone), and generally don't do well.
I have no inside knowledge, but I imagine that it is much simpler and easier to implement a "no dogs in cargo" policy than to have a list of forbidden breeds that turns every interaction into a negotiation - "She's only HALF pug!" "They let her fly last time and it was FINE!" You can make people sign a release, but I'd bet that Karen's *insistence* that Fluffy will be fine and that she
must be allowed to fly.... will turn into a full-blown social media smear campaign, should Fluffy turn out to NOT be fine.
disclaimer: I have two French Bulldogs and can attest that they are completely useless, but in the most endearing way!