The number of animals who died during transportation by U.S. airlines last year jumped 70% to 39 from 23. Injuries doubled, and five animals were lost, compared to three in 2009.
That toll, a small percentage of the many thousands of annuals aboard airplanes each year, reflects the growing trend of flying with Fluffy and Fido. More and more people take their pets on vacation or ship dogs for sale or competition. And it also reflects the major dangers animals face in air travel.
It can be done more safely, as this week’s Middle Seat shows. Knowing the dangers animals face in air travel can help. Teaching airport workers proper handling techniques and signs of distress for animals is important, and preparing to respond to pet emergencies can make a difference, as Boston’s Logan International Airport is showing.
Airlines collect big fees for flying pets these days. Many, including United, Delta and American, charge $125 one-way when you carry your own pet into the cabin. A kennel as checked baggage on a domestic flight at United costs $250, each way.
But the increasing number of pet deaths, and the program pioneered in Boston, show that pet owners aren’t getting all the service they need when they pay those fees.
Brachycephalic, or short-nosed, breeds are more prone to problems because they can overheat and develop breathing difficulties, and they account for a large number of pet deaths. But death reports on animals filed by airlines with the Department of Transportation show a host of dangers. The stress of the experience can cause dogs and cats to injure themselves by trying to claw or chew through plastic containers and metal bars. Improper handling by airlines can leave a pet sitting too long on an airport tarmac or in a poorly ventilated space. And escapes – sometimes when a well-meaning worker is just try to open a container door to help the animal – can lead to tragic loss.
Consider Coco, a 63-pound, nine-month-old English bulldog who arrived dead in Atlanta on a flight from Germany. There were no problems with the plane’s heating and ventilation system, no delays in loading or unloading and no temperature extremes at either airport. An autopsy found that in addition to a predisposition for breathing difficulties, “Coco, due to stress, regurgitated food’’ that was aspirated into the trachea and lungs, according to the report Delta filed with DOT.
Or Nala, a Shepherd mix, escaped from her container on Dec. 21 while being loaded on a Delta flight in Atlanta. Posters were distributed, Delta sought help from the public and offered a reward, but 10 days later, Nala was found dead by an interstate highway, hit by a vehicle.
A spokeswoman for Delta, which had the largest increase last year in pet deaths, said in recent months the airline has worked to enhance handling procedures and employee training and is working with local animal-rescue groups to identify best practices. In addition, in response to a large increase in deaths of bulldogs, Delta decided earlier this year to stop carrying American, English or French bulldogs.
Travelers treat their pets as family members. Airlines and airports no doubt need to at least treat them more like the high-paying customers they are and see if there aren’t more steps they can take to improve survivability.