Pet dog Bluebell mistakenly flown to Saudi Arabia instead of Tennessee
An American family’s pet dog got the surprise of a pooch’s lifetime when it was accidentally sent to Saudi Arabia rather than his owner’s home in Nashville, Tennessee.
Five-year-old Bluebell had been adopted by her human family in London, England, but was relocating with them back to Nashville when British Airways made a rather drastic mistake and instead she was flown off to Saudi Arabia, local TV station WVLT8 reported.
Meanwhile, in Nashville, Bluebell’s owner, Madison Miller, was being presented with the wrong dog. Cue a global search for Bluebell’s actual whereabouts.
“They said she wasn’t in Nashville, and they said their best guess was she was in Saudi Arabia,” Bluebell’s owner Madison Miller told the TV station. “After we knew she was in Saudi Arabia, it was just all hands-on deck. How do we get her back?”
Eventually the Millers were shown a picture of Bluebell, unhappy in her crate and thousands of miles away. Finally, three days and three flights later, Bluebell was returned to the Millers.
“They said this has never happened before – we don’t even understand how it could happen because there are so many safety checks in place,” Miller told the TV station.
Bluebell, according to her family, has displayed signs of stress and nervousness ever since her misadventure.
WVLT8 said that British Airways forwarded a request for comment to a cargo company, IAG Cargo, who said in a statement: “Whilst Bluebell’s route was longer than it should have been, we ensured she was on the first flight back to Nashville from London Heathrow” airport.
They added: “During her time with us she received refreshments frequently and had time outside to stretch her legs – including regular walks and eight hours with the team at the Heathrow Animal Reception centre who cared for her. Despite these measures, we understand that this has been an upsetting situation for Bluebell and her owners and remain in contact with them to resolve the situation.”