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Dog dies in overhead locker on UA

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Dog dies in overhead locker on UA

Old 14th Mar 2018, 00:02
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Dog dies in overhead locker on UA

The airline that just keeps giving...sensational headlines to the media.

United Airlines has accepted "full responsibility" for a dog's in-flight death after a flight attendant put the pet in the overhead locker.

"This was a tragic accident that should never have happened," the airline said.

The French bulldog died during a flight from Houston to New York on Monday.

Witnesses said the flight attendant had asked one of the passengers to put her airline-approved pet carrier in the locker. The attendant later said she did not know the dog was in the bag.
An eyewitness account posted on social media (where else?) contradicts the flight attendant's statement that she wasn't aware of the contents, and alleges the dog's owner pushed back but eventually complied with the FA's order.

More details from the BBC
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Old 14th Mar 2018, 01:15
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Originally Posted by Carbon Bootprint
The airline that just keeps giving...sensational headlines to the media.



An eyewitness account posted on social media (where else?) contradicts the flight attendant's statement that she wasn't aware of the contents, and alleges the dog's owner pushed back but eventually complied with the FA's order.

More details from the BBC
She who must be obeyed!
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Old 14th Mar 2018, 01:29
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Originally Posted by Carbon Bootprint
The airline that just keeps giving...sensational headlines to the media.
is it normal to allow dogs in a cage to be in UA's the passenger deck?

I've never seen that anywhere myself.....
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Old 14th Mar 2018, 01:37
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The USA is a weird place that allows all sorts of animals on board an aircraft as 'emotional' support pets. This means you could be seated in the same row as a passenger with a pot bellied pig or a peacock.

I jest not.

United Airlines said Thursday it has updated its policy regarding emotional support animals, and American Airlines said it is reviewing its policy.

United's move follows a similar step by Delta as well as a United passenger’s effort last week to board a Newark departure along with an emotional support peacock. United denied boarding to the bird.

American is "reviewing our requirements with the goal of protecting our team members and our customers who have a real need for a trained service or support animal," said spokeswoman Shannon Gibson.


"Unfortunately, untrained animals can lead to safety issues for our team, our passengers and working dogs onboard our aircraft," she said. "We will continue to support the rights of customers, from veterans to people with disabilities, with legitimate needs.”

Starting March 1, United will require that passengers provide a health and vaccination form signed by the animal’s veterinarian as well as confirmation that “the animal has been trained to behave properly in a public setting and acknowledge responsibility for the animal’s behavior.”’

Last edited by Mike Flynn; 14th Mar 2018 at 02:47.
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Old 14th Mar 2018, 01:47
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Hey, did anyone see this dog ALIVE?

Anyone? Anyone?

Last edited by jack11111; 14th Mar 2018 at 02:18.
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Old 14th Mar 2018, 01:49
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I don’t believe this was an emotional support animal (like the famous UA peacock), just a small pet dog. UA and most US carriers normally allow small dogs and cats (and perhaps other critters) in the cabin on domestic flights long as they’re in an approved carrier that fits underneath the seat.
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Old 14th Mar 2018, 01:58
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This past year or so, every single flight I've been on in the US has had at least 4-8 dogs and cats aboard. Very few of which appear to be real "service" animals. Mostly those yappy little dogs we all hate.

On the other hand, United seems to go out of their way to avoid any sort of customer service.
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Old 14th Mar 2018, 02:02
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I don’t believe this was an emotional support animal (like the famous UA peacock), just a small pet dog
I'm not sure about the description

I sensed it was so big that it completely filled a bag that was too big to fit under a seat, hence it took up aisle space until it was ordered into the overhead.

What is lacking for my judgement, was how evident was it that the case contained a dog?. Was the head at least visible? Was it drugged? Was it identified in a manifest?

Time for published rules for live animals to be fully identified and vetted before carriage ... not after boarding.
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Old 14th Mar 2018, 02:50
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I understand it was a small bulldog.

Frankly you have to question the logic of any airline or airport allowing pets other than guide dogs in the cabin.

This from the Washington Post last June.

When Marlin Jackson arrived at his row on a Delta flight from Atlanta to San Diego in June, the middle seat was already occupied by a man with a sizable dog on his lap. Jackson squeezed by them to his window seat, and the Labrador mix lunged at his face. The attack lasted about 30 seconds, according to Jackson’s attorney, and left him with facial wounds that required 28 stitches and scars that are still visible today.

The mauling, which Delta said was inflicted by a canine identified as an “emotional support” animal, was among the thousands of incidents that just pushed the nation’s largest airline to tighten rules for passengers flying with service or comfort animals. In announcing the changes Friday, Delta said it flew 250,000 animals in those categories last year, up 150 percent from 2015, while “incidents” such as biting or defecating had nearly doubled since 2016.

Delta emphasized safety concerns in detailing the increased documentation owners that will be required to provide about their animals. But its action also was spurred by a widespread perception among airlines and disability rights advocates that some fliers are fraudulently taking advantage of federal law to bring untrained pets of myriad species into crowded cabins.
Apart from the danger of being attacked by animals there is also the issue of others passengers rights.

In the story below a woman took a large pot bellied pig on board which caused mayhem by running wild in the cabin and defacating.




When US Airways passenger Robert Phelps first saw the woman coming down the aisle of the plane, he thought she had a "really big dog" or a stuffed animal thrown over her shoulder.

As she got closer, there was no denying that the woman was carrying a big brown pig, perhaps between 70 and 80 pounds, Phelps said.
"Everybody was trying to surmise what it could be, because no one thought it was a pig," he said. "Other than a Fellini movie, where would you see a person with a pig?"
The passenger was allowed to bring the pig on board as an "emotional support animal" under Department of Transportation guidelines, a US Airways spokeswoman said.
Apparently, it was not meant to be. Before the plane took off, the passenger and her pig were kicked for being "disruptive," spokeswoman Laura Masvidal said.
How disruptive? Fellow passengers told the Hartford Courant that the big brown pig stank up the cabin of the tiny D.C.-bound aircraft and defecated in the aisle.
Phelps watched in amusement and horror as the pig began "dropping things" in the aisle while his owner stowed her belongings. When she tied him to the armrest and tried to clean up after him, he began to howl.
"She was talking to it like a person, saying it was being a jerk," he said. "I have no problems with babies, but this pig was letting out a howl."
A flight attendant asked her to move to the front of the plane, and eventually she left, he said. He took a photo of her as she walked past him.
"I understand dogs and cats on planes. They come in crates, but this was way too big, and it had no container," he said. "It looked heavy. It was not a tiny, cute little pig."
Why was the animal allowed on the plane to begin with? People have been bringing "emotional support animals" on planes in increasing numbers in recent years, as well as to restaurants, museums and stores.
https://edition.cnn.com/2014/11/30/t...ght/index.html


Last edited by Mike Flynn; 14th Mar 2018 at 03:41.
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Old 14th Mar 2018, 03:28
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If it ever has, this cries out for Federal legislation prohibiting any animal other than guide dogs or dog or cat in an approved under seat container. Period!
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Old 14th Mar 2018, 03:52
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There are few if any countries outside the USA that allow pets in airport terminals let alone in the passenger cabin Jack.

How do they clear through security?

If people want to transport animals they can be caged and go in the hold.
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Old 14th Mar 2018, 04:53
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Originally Posted by Dee Vee
is it normal to allow dogs in a cage to be in UA's the passenger deck?

I've never seen that anywhere myself.....
United charges $125 for a pet. The pet must fit comfortably in an approved carrier, and the carrier must fit under the seat.

https://www.united.com/web/en-US/con.../in_cabin.aspx
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Old 14th Mar 2018, 04:53
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It's really very simple: The law requires that "service animals" be allowed, but does not define such. So no airline wants to face the lawsuit when they ban some nervous nellie's creature.
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Old 14th Mar 2018, 04:59
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It appears many people are exploiting the situation.I cannot see what service a duck or a pig can perform or indeed tiny lap dog.

Service dogs, which are trained to perform tasks for a person with a disability, were first used by people with vision and hearing impairments. They are now also used by those who use wheelchairs or have other impairment in mobility, people who are prone to seizures or need to be alerted to medical conditions, like low blood sugar, and people with autism or mental illness. The American Humane Association, which promotes the welfare and safety of animals, says there are 20,000 service dogs working in the U.S.

Supporters of the new laws compare those misbehaving dog owners to people who acquire handicap signs so they can park in spaces intended for disabled people. The laws make it a misdemeanor to represent an untrained dog as a service animal, and usually come with fines of no more than $500 for an incident.

But because there is no certification or official national registry of legitimate service dogs, there is no way to verify whether a dog has undergone rigorous training to become a service animal.

That makes it hard to enforce the laws, said David Favre, a law professor at Michigan State University College of Law and editor of its Animal Legal and Historical Center website, which follows public policy issues related to animals. He said he’s not aware of anyone who has been prosecuted anywhere for violating them.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...als/807676001/
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Old 14th Mar 2018, 05:16
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Originally Posted by Jay Sata
There are few if any countries outside the USA that allow pets in airport terminals let alone in the passenger cabin Jack.

How do they clear through security?

If people want to transport animals they can be caged and go in the hold.
It's some years ago now, but when I was transiting through Frankfurt I was surprised to see quite a number of small animals in the gate lounges.
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Old 14th Mar 2018, 05:38
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But did the dog die as a result of being in the overhead locker?

Snub nosed breeds of dog are more likely to die when in aircraft (in the hold or cabin), than normal breeds of dog. They're bred to effectively have a slight breathing difficulty.......which turns in to suffocation as the cabin pressure climbs.

So this dog would have most likely died regardless of whether it sat in the overhead locker or on the captains knee munching on the remnants of the flight deck cheeseboard.
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Old 14th Mar 2018, 07:33
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Originally Posted by GingerFI
But did the dog die as a result of being in the overhead locker?

Snub nosed breeds of dog are more likely to die when in aircraft (in the hold or cabin), than normal breeds of dog. They're bred to effectively have a slight breathing difficulty.......which turns in to suffocation as the cabin pressure climbs.

So this dog would have most likely died regardless of whether it sat in the overhead locker or on the captains knee munching on the remnants of the flight deck cheeseboard.
You aught to be a politician or in PR with that sort of “logic”.
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Old 14th Mar 2018, 08:02
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+1 above.

Sounds like it was on its way out anyway. Why would it die just because it was put in an overhead locker? They’re certainly not airtight. If it can’t survive being in it’s dog carrier in a locker, it was never going to survive the flight regardless.

Frenchies are reknowned for having difficulties breathing. They can’t even breed naturally.
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Old 14th Mar 2018, 08:10
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Animals.

Maybe wrong, but I don't seem to see anything on the thread about: ".......passenger safety is our main concern." With such large animals on board, what would happen "In the unlikely event........" THEN see the ambulance chasers come out of the wood! Just a thought.
Good ole U.S., Land of the Weirdos.
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Old 14th Mar 2018, 08:25
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What puzzles me is how the US airlines balance the right for someone to bring a pig or bird onboard against the responsibility for rest of the passengers. When livestock takes a dump the smell will permeate the cabin.

The FAA really need to tighten their procedures on this.

With Ryanair the pooch and container would be non standard carry on baggage.If it won't go in the overhead locker it goes in the hold.
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