AC has a doggone problem
Jul 26, 2002, 8:11 am
#1
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Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: oakville Ontario canada;AC*SE
Posts: 16,985
AC has a doggone problem
MONTREAL -- Maybe Indy couldn't face the prospect of being fed more airline food.
No one knows why, but the timid German shepherd-Labrador retriever escaped from its cage while in transit with Air Canada at Montreal's Dorval Airport.
Now Indy has vanished, to the embarrassment of Air Canada and the great dismay of its owners, who feel the airline lost their dog.
"They lose luggage -- but a dog?" said Scott Ensor of Victoria. "I'm still in disbelief."
Mr. Ensor and his wife, Andrea, entrusted Indy and their other dog, Grizz, to Air Canada in Fredericton before the couple travelled to Victoria by car with their baby girl.
Both dogs safely made it to Montreal this week. Grizz successfully boarded a connecting flight. While handlers at the airport were transferring Indy, however, its cage door opened and the dog ran off.
No one knows the animal's whereabouts, but the Montreal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which is on the case, says the dog is probably long gone from the airport grounds and is on the loose in Montreal's leafy West Island district.
Air Canada has posted Indy's photo throughout the airport, and a spokeswoman said the airline, which has faced criticism for declining customer care, "is not taking this lightly."
"We're very sorry and we're co-operating fully with the SPCA," Isabelle Arthur said.
"We're putting in every effort to find the dog."
Mr. Ensor, an Armed Forces combat engineer who moved to Victoria to become a navy diver, said five-year-old Indy couldn't have opened the cage door alone. He suspects a handler opened it while feeding or hosing down the pet.
"I don't think Air Canada handled this the way they should have," he said. "When you put a dog on a plane, you figure it's a live animal and it will be treated with some kind of respect.
"Well, I wouldn't put my dog on a plane, any plane, ever again," he said. "I discovered that animals are treated just like a piece of cargo -- they [the airline personnel] don't care whether it's live or a suitcase. For them, it's just another piece of luggage."
The Ensors paid Air Canada $892 to put both their dogs on the plane. The airline called the family Wednesday asking if they wanted to make a claim for their dog, but the Ensors refused, holding out hope that the animal will still be found.
Air Canada transported 27,600 animals last year -- including elephants, cows and gorillas, but mostly cats and dogs -- and very few got lost, Ms. Arthur said.
I love the part above that says "very few(pets) got lost"
No one knows why, but the timid German shepherd-Labrador retriever escaped from its cage while in transit with Air Canada at Montreal's Dorval Airport.
Now Indy has vanished, to the embarrassment of Air Canada and the great dismay of its owners, who feel the airline lost their dog.
"They lose luggage -- but a dog?" said Scott Ensor of Victoria. "I'm still in disbelief."
Mr. Ensor and his wife, Andrea, entrusted Indy and their other dog, Grizz, to Air Canada in Fredericton before the couple travelled to Victoria by car with their baby girl.
Both dogs safely made it to Montreal this week. Grizz successfully boarded a connecting flight. While handlers at the airport were transferring Indy, however, its cage door opened and the dog ran off.
No one knows the animal's whereabouts, but the Montreal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which is on the case, says the dog is probably long gone from the airport grounds and is on the loose in Montreal's leafy West Island district.
Air Canada has posted Indy's photo throughout the airport, and a spokeswoman said the airline, which has faced criticism for declining customer care, "is not taking this lightly."
"We're very sorry and we're co-operating fully with the SPCA," Isabelle Arthur said.
"We're putting in every effort to find the dog."
Mr. Ensor, an Armed Forces combat engineer who moved to Victoria to become a navy diver, said five-year-old Indy couldn't have opened the cage door alone. He suspects a handler opened it while feeding or hosing down the pet.
"I don't think Air Canada handled this the way they should have," he said. "When you put a dog on a plane, you figure it's a live animal and it will be treated with some kind of respect.
"Well, I wouldn't put my dog on a plane, any plane, ever again," he said. "I discovered that animals are treated just like a piece of cargo -- they [the airline personnel] don't care whether it's live or a suitcase. For them, it's just another piece of luggage."
The Ensors paid Air Canada $892 to put both their dogs on the plane. The airline called the family Wednesday asking if they wanted to make a claim for their dog, but the Ensors refused, holding out hope that the animal will still be found.
Air Canada transported 27,600 animals last year -- including elephants, cows and gorillas, but mostly cats and dogs -- and very few got lost, Ms. Arthur said.
I love the part above that says "very few(pets) got lost"
Jul 26, 2002, 10:33 am
#2
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Programs: BA GGL, FPC Plat, HH Diamond, IHG Amb
Posts: 3,372
While the loss of the animal is regrettable, it is nice to see AC taking the initiative to call the family and ask them if they wanted to make a claim, rather than sitting back and waiting for them to call.
Everybody realizes that things will go wrong--the frequency separates the good from the bad. How you handle them when they do go wrong separates the good from the great.
Everybody realizes that things will go wrong--the frequency separates the good from the bad. How you handle them when they do go wrong separates the good from the great.
Jul 26, 2002, 10:37 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Toronto,
Posts: 834
An AC FO on an L1011 was telling me in 1990 to never ship a pet on the airline. He elaborated by saying how they would just leave crates on the ramp, seemingly forget about them. he would then call dispatch to nudge them into doing something.
Come September I will be driving to Nova Scotia for a new dog. A 3 or 4 day drive beats this nonsense.
Come September I will be driving to Nova Scotia for a new dog. A 3 or 4 day drive beats this nonsense.
Jul 26, 2002, 10:38 am
#4
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 179
AC lost my family dog a couple years ago- he was still in his crate, however they couldn't tell us why he didn't make the yyc-yhz flight, and more specifically where he was! Turned out he had gone to YYZ but then left out on the tarmac for over 6 hours. He was in halifax twenty (20) hours after he left yyc. Needless to say he was tramuatized and still hasn't fully recovered. Air Canada was very very very receptive to our compensation demands when a draft of a written letter to the globe and mail was sent to them as a "courtesy" measure.
Jul 26, 2002, 11:52 am
#6
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 13,344
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by FlyerAl:
It's bad enough dragging my cat Fluffy to the vet. I couldn't imagine travelling with him!</font>
It's bad enough dragging my cat Fluffy to the vet. I couldn't imagine travelling with him!</font>
When I take my cats to the vet, I never drag them - placing them in crates and driving there seems so much easier
Jul 26, 2002, 12:11 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: YYZ
Posts: 6,138
Having worked at AC Cargo for two years now, I can assure you this is a very, very rare occurence. Even at big bad every-man-for-himself Pearson, the only animal we ever lost track of in my "career" (that I'm aware of)was a dog for a four hour duration, and only because a ramp worker had placed the dog inside an air-conditioned employee rest area, where he thought it would be more comfortable, upon arrival, and then radioed the wrong frequency to tell us where he put it. Ordinarily, a special van will meet the inbound flight an animal is on and transport it either to the warehouse or the connecting flight.
I would like to think this accident happened because someone was trying to make the dog more comfortable and lost control of him, rather than due to some kind of rough handling of the kennel. Some owners actually put labels on the kennel reading "Please pet me, I'm friendly and a nervous flyer" or attach water and treats to be given to the animal en route. Unwise, perhaps, but not negiligent or cruel, as I think this story is trying to paint the YUL situation.
As hollow as it may sound coming from my unobjective corner, I would ship my family dog to YYJ tomorrow if I had to, with no hesitation. Being on the ramp at midday at YYZ in August is going to be uncomfortable, even for 5 minutes, and a trip in the cargo hold of an aircraft is no real picnic, but it's relatively quick and painless.
I'm an animal lover and the AC employees who work with live animals have bid those jobs because they care about their treatment. I feel terribly for the family involved, and I hope this story ultimately has a happy ending.
[This message has been edited by YYZC2 (edited 07-26-2002).]
I would like to think this accident happened because someone was trying to make the dog more comfortable and lost control of him, rather than due to some kind of rough handling of the kennel. Some owners actually put labels on the kennel reading "Please pet me, I'm friendly and a nervous flyer" or attach water and treats to be given to the animal en route. Unwise, perhaps, but not negiligent or cruel, as I think this story is trying to paint the YUL situation.
As hollow as it may sound coming from my unobjective corner, I would ship my family dog to YYJ tomorrow if I had to, with no hesitation. Being on the ramp at midday at YYZ in August is going to be uncomfortable, even for 5 minutes, and a trip in the cargo hold of an aircraft is no real picnic, but it's relatively quick and painless.
I'm an animal lover and the AC employees who work with live animals have bid those jobs because they care about their treatment. I feel terribly for the family involved, and I hope this story ultimately has a happy ending.
[This message has been edited by YYZC2 (edited 07-26-2002).]
Jul 26, 2002, 12:52 pm
#9
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 8,564
Yes, thanks for the inside information.
I know the owner was upset, but I found his guesses at what happened somewhat contradictory (of course it would be too much for the reporter to tone down the rhetoric).
So he thinks they were feeding or watering the dog, then accuses them of treating it like "another piece of luggage"!?
andrew
I know the owner was upset, but I found his guesses at what happened somewhat contradictory (of course it would be too much for the reporter to tone down the rhetoric).
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Mr. Ensor ... said five-year-old Indy couldn't have opened the cage door alone. He suspects a handler opened it while feeding or hosing down the pet.
...
"Well, I wouldn't put my dog on a plane, any plane, ever again," he said. "I discovered that animals are treated just like a piece of cargo -- they [the airline personnel] don't care whether it's live or a suitcase. For them, it's just another piece of luggage."</font>
...
"Well, I wouldn't put my dog on a plane, any plane, ever again," he said. "I discovered that animals are treated just like a piece of cargo -- they [the airline personnel] don't care whether it's live or a suitcase. For them, it's just another piece of luggage."</font>
andrew
Jul 26, 2002, 2:38 pm
#10
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,130
I have flown with a dog many times, and would not hestitate to do so again. I have never had cause for complaint about the way they treat pets.
Latches do fail on kennels, especially the cheap plastic ones. That happened to me once (not while flying). Now, I always tie the kennel door shut or use a metal clip to make sure it stays closed. Perhaps that is what happened here.
Latches do fail on kennels, especially the cheap plastic ones. That happened to me once (not while flying). Now, I always tie the kennel door shut or use a metal clip to make sure it stays closed. Perhaps that is what happened here.
Jul 26, 2002, 4:53 pm
#11
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Las Vegas, Nv , USA
Posts: 55
I work Baggage Service and I am a animal lover too. I have 2 border collie/ australian sheperd mix breeds. I would never travel with my animals. I either use a pet sitter or I board them. I have Seen latches break on some kennels. I have also seen passengers and their dogs get seperated on a flight as well.
I use a Vet that will come and pick up the
animal and board and feed them till the owners arrive and we do this at the airlines expense.
I use a Vet that will come and pick up the
animal and board and feed them till the owners arrive and we do this at the airlines expense.
Jul 26, 2002, 8:07 pm
#12
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,130
I should also add that I always confirm that the dog is on board the plane before the cabin door closes. I can usually see the kennel being loaded; if not, I ask a FA to check for me. It's never happened, but if the dog wasn't there, I would get off the plane.
Jul 26, 2002, 8:55 pm
#13
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Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: oakville Ontario canada;AC*SE
Posts: 16,985
To satisfy Shareholder's pique of angst I must ask that you all cease and desist from reading this thread any more because he posted the story on another thread before me.