Puppy dies on United flight from Houston
Owner was told to put dog in overhead bin for trip to New York
A 10-month-old puppy dies on a flight out of Bush Intercontinental Airport to New York after a United Airlines flight attendant told the dog's owner to put it in the overhead compartment.
A 10-month-old puppy died on a flight out of Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport on Monday evening after a United Airlines flight attendant told the dog’s owner to put it in the overhead compartment.
Shortly after boarding United Flight 1284 to New York’s LaGuardia, the passenger was told to place the 10-month-old Frenchie and its carrier in the overhead compartment, June Lara, a passenger who sat behind the owner on the flight, told the Houston Chronicle on Tuesday.
“However, the flight attendants of Flight UA1284 felt that the innocent animal was better off crammed inside the overhead container without air and water,” Lara wrote on Facebook. “They INSISTED that the puppy be locked up for three hours without any kind of airflow. They assured the safety of the family’s pet … the mother agreed.”
By the time the plane landed about three hours later and the overhead compartment was opened, the dog was dead, Lara said.
According to United’s pet policy, animals must be in a carrier and “fit completely under the seat in front of the customer and remain there at all times.”
The airline said in a statement it is investigating the animal’s death.
“This was a tragic accident that should never have occurred, as pets should never be placed in the overhead bin,” United said. “We assume full responsibility for this tragedy and express our deepest condolences to the family and are committed to supporting them. We are thoroughly investigating what occurred to prevent this from ever happening again.”
The episode comes as the airline tries to improve its public image in the wake of various high-profile incidents in recent years. Last April, the company came under significant criticism after a 69-year-old physician was violently dragged off of an overbooked flight.
Video of that incident — and the airline’s immediate response to it — only worsened the backlash for United, prompting it to create a new voucher program aimed at preventing flights from becoming overbooked.