Delta sends puppy on a dayslong, 3,700-mile trip

An 8-week-old puppy headed to his new home in Idaho was mistakenly flown thousands of miles around the country, landing in at least four other states before reaching his destination, his owner said.

The owner, Josh Schlaich, told NBC affiliate KTVB that he was expecting Delta Air Lines to deliver his dog Saturday, but instead he received a call from an airline employee in Detroit, saying the pup was being kept at a boarding facility overnight. From there, the pup was flown in a crate to Minneapolis, but the airline said he was then “misrouted” to Las Vegas and sent to Salt Lake City on his way to his home in Boise, according to CNN.

Schlaich told KTVB that when he got to Boise Airport on Sunday to pick up his dog, the airline gave him the wrong one.

He said it was, in actuality, his dog’s litter mate. Both of them had been sent from a Virginia breeder to Boise, he said.

“We went for a couple of hours not really knowing where this dog was,” Schlaich told the station. “We didn’t really know how it would be taken care of at the boarding facility. The dog has been in a crate for two days and it’s an 8-weekold puppy.”

Ultimately, the puppy arrived safely, Schlaich said.

The latest misadventure comes amid national attention and heightened concerns over airlines’ handling of animals.

Following the mishap over the weekend, Delta Air Lines apologized Tuesday “for the delayed shipment of a dog.”

“We know pets are important members of the family and apologize for the delayed shipment of a dog, which is in the hands of its owner, after it was routed through incorrect connecting points on its way to Boise,” the airline said in a statement. “Delta teams worked quickly to reunite the dog and his owner, while remaining in constant contact with the customer throughout the process to update him on the status of his pet. We have fully refunded the shipping costs and have initiated an immediate review.”

The issue came to light when Schlaich, the animal’s owner, posted a message over the weekend on the airline’s Facebook page, trying to track down his dog.

Schlaich later spoke with KTVB about the ordeal.

“It’s a culmination of uncaring customer service and bad logistics,” Schlaich told the station about the whole experience.

In an update over the weekend on Delta’s Facebook page, Schlaich said his puppy, Ren, had been delivered safely (after traveling more than 3,700 miles.)