Dog traveling from Phoenix dies on Delta Air Lines layover

A dog traveling from Phoenix to Newark on Delta Air Lines died in his crate on a layover in Detroit earlier this week, the latest deadly incident involving pets and planes.

An 8-year-old Pomeranian named Alejandro was found dead at Detroit Metropolitan Airport Wednesday morning,after the first flight landed and before the connecting flight to Newark took off, the airline confirmed to

The dog’s owners, Michael Dellegrazie and his girlfriend, sent their dog in a crate in cargo to the East Coast on the flight because they are moving to New York, their attorney, Evan Oshan, told CNN.

“There was a stop in Detroit at 6 a.m. Alejandro was checked on. He was alive. Then between 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. he was checked on again and he was dead,” Oshan said.

“The family is very upset,” Oshan told CNN. “This is essentially their family member who died. To say they are upset is a gross understatement.”

Delta spokeswoman Kate Modelo said in a statement: “We know pets are an important member of the family and we are focused on the well-being of all animals we transport. Delta is conducting a thorough review of the situation and have been working directly with Alejandro’s family to support them however we can. As part of that review, we want to find out more about why this may have occurred to ensure it doesn’t happen again and we have offered to have Alejandro evaluated by a veterinarian to learn more.”

It appears Alejandro was on Delta’s 11 p.m. flight on May 29, from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to Detroit, given the scheduled arrival time of 6 a.m.

Delta is not among the airlines that recently changed their policies about transporting pets in cargo in Phoenix and other desert cities.

American Airlines and United Airlines banned pets in cargo from May through September, beginning this year, due to consistently high temperatures. They previously banned their transport above a certain temperature, generally 85 degrees, which ruled out most summer travel.

Delta still uses temperature guidelines, aircraft type and other factors to determine whether pets can travel in cargo. The temperature range at Phoenix Sky Harbor on Tuesday was 75 to 102, with an average of 89 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.