Pets can rejoice! United suspends critter-cargo biz

UNITED AIRLINES is putting its pet-shipping business on hold after a mistake-filled week.

The airline said Tuesday it is pausing its PetSafe reservations, which allow customers to fly pets as cargo. Passengers pay up to several hundred dollars for a mediumsized or bigger dog.

Last week, a German shepherd named Irgo was accidentally sent to Japan, and another United flight was diverted to Ohio because it carried a dog that was put on the wrong plane. Both dogs eventually made it home safely.

The airline’s review does not affect pets that are kept in the cabin. A French bulldog died last week after a flight attendant ordered a passenger to put her pet carrier in the overhead bin.

The review is scheduled to be completed by May 1. Expected changes include giving airport crews more advance warning about the number and type of animals flying in cargo, and a ramp supervisor overseeing the loading and unloading of all animals.

The airline said last week it will put brightly colored tags on carriers in cabins after 10-month-old French bulldog Kokito died on a flight from Houston to New York City.