United Airlines killed their dog? (E-action with photo of Bam Bam)

[Omaha Steve]

https://www.change.org/petitions/united-airlines-have-petsafe-program-policies-changed-to-protect-the-animal-and-owner?utm_source=action_alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=41908&alert_id=DhTFxZXnUN_llHjIEmHMG






Petition by

Michele Gonzalez-Helm

oceanside, NY

Michael Jarboes Story:

On Aug 28, 2012, United Airlines killed my 2.5 year old Mastiff BamBam. After making every promise to guarantee his safety with United’s Pet Safe program, from the website to the booking agents to the ground personnel, guaranteeing air conditioned vans to and from the plane and air conditioned cargo areas at all times, United did none of it. On our layover in Houston, for over three hours, he was kept in temperatures in the 90’s. First placed on the tarmac, then in open luggage containers, then in a “holding area” with no a/c. At the height of summer during a heat wave in Texas. Never once was he placed in the air conditioning as promised, the cornerstone of the Pet Safe program.

He was dead on arrival in San Francisco. Although we saw with our own eyes the condition he was in when being boarded, and United’s own admission of NO a/c, and the later admission that NO pet is put in the air conditioned cargo area for layovers of less than 4 hours, they denied any wrong doing. After reviewing the autopsy report, our vet was 100% convinced the cause of death was heatstroke. United’s conclusion was; inconclusive. We were offered travel vouchers and weeks of corporate cover up and then lies to the media of his “special” care while in their hands.

There needs to be an enormous lobby for the airline industry fights any and all expansion of federal oversight in animal transportation. Every 9 days a pet dies on a commercial airline, and hundreds, or thousands, of other animals die each year with zero accountability as to the actual numbers or causes of death. If you accidentally leave a pet in a car in the heat you can be criminally charge with animal cruelty, yet the airlines take our money, sell us their “expertise,” then kill our family pets, deny responsibility and wash their hands by offering traveling vouchers like they are a lost suitcase.

OUR PETS ARE NOT BAGGAGE. The airline lobby may be huge, but the American pet owners “lobby” is worth 45 billion dollars a year and we demand change. We can make change if we stand together with our family members who cannot stand up for themselves.

THE CHANGE WE WANT:

Fully disclose the number of total animal deaths that occur to the Department of Transportation, not just pets.

The airlines to be held liable for wrongful deaths of our pets as living creatures and not as “baggage.”

An independent third party, not the airline, be in charge of the autopsy and the investigation into cause of a pets death.

Links covering this story:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/candi-randy/2012/10/22/united-kills-beloved-pet

http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/second-dog-death-prompts-concerns-about-safety-pets-planes-6169027

http://www.lifewithdogs.tv/2012/09/second-dog-dies-on-united-airlines-flight/

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/flying-deadly-skies-florida-man-140-pound-mastiff-bam-bam-died-cross-country-united-flight-article-1.1169505

http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21008631253197/#.UGPkxKMh7sA.facebook


To:
United Airlines
Have the polices of flying pets changed to protect the animal and owner.

On Aug 28, 2012, United Airlines killed my 2.5 year old Mastiff BamBam. After making every promise to guarantee his safety with United’s Pet Safe program, from the website to the booking agents to the ground personnel, guaranteeing air conditioned vans to and from the plane and air conditioned cargo areas at all times,...
Read More
News

Reached 100,000 signatures

Replies at link.

[arthritisR_US]

1. Corporations are just money grabbing greedy bastards. This absolutely sickens me!

[onehandle]

2. This happens all the time with airlines. You couldn't pay me to fly my dog as baggage.

People who trust a company that is barely profitable and always a hair away from bankruptcy with their animals are nuts.

[LordGlenconner]

4. Agreed

I'd never put either one of our dogs in a plane in a cargo hold. Deeply frightening for the animal and a high risk endeavor when it comes to their safety. Not to mention the insane level of worry I would be consumed with the entire time. I'm sure these people had a good reason to do it, and let's be clear, United is to blame, but it's something that should be avoided literally at all costs.

[NYC_SKP]

3. He shouldn't have sent BamBam on a plane ride, I'm assigning some of the blame to him for that.

Sad story, but I would never have trusted them with my loved one, not in Texas in the Summer......and not in winter spring or fall.

I'm sure the man is grieving, but some of what he wants will never happen:

The airlines to be held liable for wrongful deaths of our pets as living creatures and not as “baggage.”

That won't happen, and if it did then the price of doing ANYTHING for our pets would skyrocket.

I wish him well.

He shouldn't have sent BamBam on a plane ride, I'm assigning some of the blame to him for that.

[enlightenment]

6. Have to disagree.

The airline gave contractual assurances and the owner paid extra for the "pet-safe" program. Sometimes there is no alternative except to trust that the company will do what they promise - in writing - to do.

United is increasingly in the news about their failures to adequately abide by the contracts they sign with pet owners. If this owner shares blame, it is because he trusted United Airlines.

My son moved to the UK permanently a few years ago. He was unwilling to leave his elderly small dog behind. Because it was an international flight, he had to put the dog in the cargo hold. He wasn't happy about it, but he didn't have a choice, short of giving up a pet that he has had for a considerable portion of his life.

Virgin Air took very good care of his pet and when he reached the Pet Immigration holding area, the employees were walking his dog on the lawn (albeit, a small patch of grass surrounded by concrete, but they were making the effort). He had been fed and despite being a 16 year old chihuahua, was in perfect health.

It wasn't cheap; he paid over a thousand dollars - but it worked out and today that little dog is still kicking at almost 20 (he only has two teeth left, but he's healthy despite that).

It is entirely possible to safely transport an animal by air, in an appropriate cargo hold. Airlines did it for years and years before profit overtook decent service.

[NYC_SKP]

8. Unfortunately, the law only covers animals as though they are personal property.

I fear that BamBam's owner expected the for-profit carrier and everyone working there to care for the animal with greater effort.

And the shared blame is indeed, as you suggest, for trusting United, even with their pet-safe program.

I wonder if there are other, more reliable, ways to do this.

If I had to move with my pets I might choose to drive rather than fly so that they could be with me.

I don't know if BamBam's owners went to SF for a visit or for a summer, and the whole thing is just sad.

[Omaha Steve]

13. I hope everyone that reads this at least signs the petition???

Enlightenment I agree with your line of thought.

[elehhhhna]

7. No layover flights, for sure. Recipe for disaster.

We flew out cat to TX from IL when we moved here, and she arrived w/ broken teeth.


Never again.

[Logical]

9. Wow, that is so kind so you. Empathy not a trait of yours I assume. n-t

[NYC_SKP]

10. He was too trusting. He could have driven with the dog to SF.

His choice to stick the dog in a box and then on a plane.

Why not drive? Why not board the dog in a kennel or pet-sitter?

Yeah, he bears some blame.

[MineralMan]

5. Very unfortunate.

I don't even trust airlines with checked bags, much less a live mastiff. It's a shame this happened, of course, but I would never send a dog somewhere on a plane. Never.

I would not take a dog with me on a trip, either. If I were moving, the dog would travel with me in my car. For trips, the dog goes to the boarding kennel. They take good care of him and he gets to play with other dogs. He likes going to the boarding kennel, and we even take him here to stay for a day if we're going to be away from home for more than a few hours.

No plane trips for any dog of mine. Ever. He's happier at the boarding place.

[Amimnoch]

11. My own, personal experience has been quite different.

I'd been a Continental Airlines frequent flier since the mid 90's (a ton of travel for my work), and since the merger have been a United Airlines frequent flier (Premier 1K for the last 2 years).

Neither of my two dogs are of the small size that is allowed in the cabin. In 2009 I was relocated to Macae, Brazil, and in July 2012 I was relocated again to St. John's, NL, Canada. My choices for those moves were either find alternate employment, or relocate.

For both moves, we used United's Pet-safe program to relocate our dogs. In both cases we found the handling, and treatment of our pets to be excellent. In the flight from Rio De Janeiro Brazil to St. John's, NL there was 2 layovers for them. One in Houston, TX, and the other in Newark, NJ. The people in the program even texted me photo's of them being walked, and them in the pet-safe holding areas which were indoors, and at least looked climate controlled. In both cases they arrived at the Customs/Immigration pet holding area in tip-top shape. The smaller one, coco, was obviously a bit shaken from the experience, but with love, treats, walks, and lots of hugs and nurturing bounced back quickly.

I really feel for this man. I'd have been devastated had either of my "babies" been mistreated, and died as a result of this kind of negligence.. I wouldn't stop until people were fired.

I will write United, and reference this article, and ask that they answer the public to this incident. As a current Premier 1K flier, and lifetime gold member (2-million lifetime qualifying miles), who has had occasion to use this program, and with my work has the potential to have future use of it, I'd like an answer as well.