Dog missing from JFK found dead; no apology from airline
Examiner
A Staten Island couple who flew into JFK from Athens on November 30 panicked when their little 18-pound terrier, Leo, was nowhere to be found in the baggage claim area.
Though they had been allowed to fly with Leo in the cabin on the way to Athens, Olympic Airlines insisted the dog be transported in the cargo hold during the return flight.
The couple, Matthew Mirones and Lisa Lonuzzi, approached airline officials at JFK. “At first, they gave us the runaround,” Ms. Lonuzzi told The New York Post. “Then they finally told us they had the crate–but no dog.”
An Olympic Airline spokesman explained that when they opened the belly of the cargo hold, the terrified terrier ran across the tarmac and airport employees were unable to catch him.
Asked why the airline did not apologize, the spokesman told The New Post simply, “It’s a regrettable event for us.” (Perhaps they changed their tune when the story got more media coverage. Tonight, ABC News reported that the airline insisted that they “repeatedly apologized.”)
Matthew Mirones and Lisa Lonuzzi with Leo’s now-
empty dog house.
Not knowing what else to do, Ms. Linozzi placed an ad on Craigslist. Her ad received hundreds of responses, and one that mentioned a similar dog who was seen lying dead on Rockaway Boulevard in Queens.
It was Leo.
His devastated parents “scraped him off the side of the road.” “At least we know where he is,” Ms. Linozzi said. “We have closure, just no apology.”
How to Keep Your Dog Safe During a Flight In Cargo
Fortunately for small dog owners, most airlines allow dogs weighing less than 20 pounds to ride in the cabin of the plane, if the dog and carrier are small enough to fit underneath the seat.
For bigger dogs that must be flown in the cargo hold, the internet is rife with websites giving tips on keeping your dog safe during flight. The usual tips range from not tranquilizing your dog, to providing adequate food and water, to using a sturdy carrier that is labeled brightly with “Live Animal” stickers.
Are there other precautions you can take to avoid negligent baggage handlers or a dog that escapes?
Yes, there is. According to the San Francisco SPCA, you can:
* Ask the airline if you can watch your pet being loaded onto the cargo hold.
* When you board the plane, notify the captain and flight attendants that your pet is in the hold so they can take precautions. And don’t be shy about asking the crew to check on the status of your pet.
* Carry a picture of your pet.
The U.S. Department of Transportation provides consumer reports about domestic airlines, who are required to report incidents of loss, injury or death to an animal during flight. You can check their consumer reports website here to check for the safety record of any airline.
It is relatively safe to fly your dog in a cargo hold, but incidents of lost dogs do happen. Luckily, one Boston dog who escaped the cargo hold, was found hours later, shaken, but alive. It’s unfortunate we can’t say the same for Leo.