Michael Markarian, chief operating officer for The Humane Society of the United States, issued the following statement in reaction to the death of seven puppies flying in the cargo hold of an American Airlines flight from Tulsa, Okla. to Chicago, Ill.
“The death of seven puppies after they were removed from the cargo hold of an American Airlines jet is a tragedy that could have been avoided. If these puppies died because of the hot conditions in the cargo hold, then this would be a violation of the Animal Welfare Act and USDA should investigate. The suffering that these animals may have endured before they died is difficult to imagine. These defenseless puppies may have been trapped inside a sweltering cargo hold while the airliner waited for a storm to pass, which is a common occurrence in the summer. This incident should spur everyone to be reminded of the potential hazards of transporting pets on commercial airlines, even when traveling with their own animals. It should also open the eyes of consumers who are considering ordering puppies online and having that animal shipped to them by air, a common occurrence in the puppy mill industry. While the airline and the federal government have a responsibility here, consumers can reduce the likelihood that this will happen again by adopting a homeless animal from a local shelter or rescue group, or finding a responsible breeder in their community.”
Enviroshop is maintained by dedicated NetSys Interactive Inc. owners & employees who generously contribute their time to maintenance & editing, web design, custom programming, & website hosting for Enviroshop.
Simple question – why was no-one looking after the pups? I know airline staff are busy – we all are at our jobs – but does this mean we can forego “Duty of Care”? Surely to God, did no-one have the gumption to check in on them? I guess it’s another case of “not on my remit”. Too busy shovelling peanuts and duty free bargains down the punters’ throats… (How many of the passengers would have been happy to know that there were wee dogs dying on the flight while they were being attended to?)
Let’s face it – unless you’re flying the darn ‘plane, there *were* opportunies to check on the wee souls. I know that a Union Rep’ could argue the case that ‘looking after livestock’ isn’t part of the crew’s job, so they’d probably (unfortunately) get off with it legally. But ethically – shame on all of you who *could* have made a difference. It wouldn’t have taken much to see if they had enough food/water/weren’t in distress due to temp’/etc.
And in terms of remit – if there *is* livestock, there should be a qualified person to look after them!
And ‘Amen’, Humane Society of the United States, on their stance of adoption locally!
Frannie, we couldn’t agree more! The rules have to change and they need a special monitored compartment or they should only travel in the main cabin. It’s disgusting that the airlines are getting away with murder. Thank you for caring and for sharing your thoughts with us. We always appreciate reader feedback!