Back in August I had a bit of a tiff going with Deb Weiman regarding flying a dog in the summer. The following was on my Facebook page this morning. I know it's long ... however, it might just save the life of your dog. If you don't think this can happen to you then you need a check up from the neck up. This dog did not have to die .. United made a promise. Too bad they don't follow their own rules and regulations.

On Aug, 28th, on a flight from Miami to San Francisco, United airlines killed my 2.5 year old Mastiff, BamBam. United’s “Pet Safe” program guarantees that your pet will be in an acclimated, a/c equipped cargo facility or Pet Safe van to and from the plane. All other airlines require a Certificate of Acclimation to fly, only United does not because of Pet Safe. On the day we flew, no other airline would have allowed us to fly because of the extreme temperatures in Miami AND in Houston, only United because of their program and their guarantee that pets remain in an air conditioned environment at all times. Cargo facilities, vans to and from the plane, the cargo hold. They broke every promise they made to us. We had a 3+ hour layover in Houston. Again, we could have flown an airline with a direct flight, but none of them offer the security, or guarantee of constant a/c that United offers. This is of paramount importance for a giant breed such as a Neapolitan Mastiff. After being seated in Houston for the San Francisco leg of our journey, watching out the window for the Pet Safe van, BamBam arrived on an metal closed sided luggage cart, not a van, looking hotter than we had ever seen him. My boy who was used to Miami temperatures. It was 97 in Houston on the tarmac that day. Outraged at the lack of a van and how hot he looked, but assuming he would cool down once inside the plane, and the airplane doors already locked, we watched them load him and we took off to San Francisco. Never, not once did it occur to me that he had been in that condition for close to four hours, since we landed in Houston. BamBam was dead on arrival. My beautiful baby boy. We were told he must be sent back to Houston for an autopsy, and so began four dreadful weeks of corporate America denying responsibility, non information, ridiculous necropsy interpretations and insulting offers. Eventually United offered us a return of his flight costs, the cost of his necropsy/cremation and travel vouchers. We have since found out from United employees that at no time in Houston was BamBam ever in a/c. He was removed from the plane, set under the wing on the tarmac until a luggage cart came for him. He was then transferred to a “USDA approved holding area with a cross breeze from open windows and fans” instead of the cargo area with a/c as promised. We have now been told in layovers of under 4 hours, NO animal is taken into the cargo area, only the “holding area.” Something we had never been told or accepted. No van would have been unacceptable, but no cargo area at the hight of summer? Outrageous. After 2+ hours he was put back onto a luggage cart and kept outside for another 40 minutes to travel 4 gates...until we saw him. He never had a chance. We have now learned that every 9 days a pet dies on a commercial airline. Yet the airline industry holds all the cards. Almost zero regulation, accountability or informing of the public of the actual dangers of airline flight, even though his one way ticket was double my round trip. The airline and law consider him “luggage” and my recourse has been exactly that. In fact, only “pet” deaths are reported, not the hundreds of deaths of commercial animals, breeding pets, livestock, exotics, primates, etc. How can the public not be informed of this? Unless you are prepared to take the exact same chance with your pet as with your bag, do not fly your pet on a commercial airline. The last words to me beautiful baby boy as I loaded him in the crate at the United cargo terminal, were,... “Be a good boy, I’ll be back for you, I promise.” For 4 hours in a heat wave, as his body was closing down, as United’s “trained” personnel walked by and ignored his distress, is this what went through his mind? If he was just a good boy I’d be back for him. United broke every single promise they made to us. They killed my baby boy and tried to buy me off with travel vouchers and a complete denial of any responsibility on their part.

The only times my dogs fly is as a therapy dog, in bulkhead with me due to disabilities.

Why would you tell people they could need a check up from the neck up? This is why many breders don't read your posts. If you want to relay a story we don't need to know about your tiffs or your opinions about mental status.

These are easier to read.

The 1st might be a problem for a non-Facebook user. The rest are news articles. I received all in email the past 2 days.

https://www.facebook.com/ShowYourSoftSide/posts/499710096793956

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/flying-deadly-skies-florida-man-140-pound-mastiff-bam-bam-died-cross-country-united-flight-article-1.1169505

There are many similar stories on United also, such as model Maggie Rizers' 2 year Golden Retriever Beatrice only 6 weeks prior.

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/model-maggie-rizer-united-airlines-killed-my-dog-2012229

Anyone who flies their dog any distance is taking a chance especially in warm weather. The animals typically go in cargo and it's not air conditioned or oxygen steadied. Obviously United's Pet safe claims are un-truthful claims only. I won't fly them myself. I never had a good flight with them as a person flying coach or 1st class. I would never put my dog in a cargo area of a plane. Why do you think breeders drive cross-country to the Potomac besides cost?

I think coming down on this lady for some of her wording in this post, considering the pain of losing her dog in the way that this happened, is just maybe a little uncalled for. The information in the articles that you provided is valuable and we can all benefit from reading them, but it seems to me they could have been provided as additional information without chastising the OP. JMHO....

I recall the thread back in August about flying a puppy...because I am the proud puppy owner. I'm going to repeat now what I said back then because I think it was unfair of you to use Deb's name in this new thread. Deb's original post in August was for information gathering purpose only. She was merely trying to determine whether flying the puppy was a viable option or not. After a few helpful replies to her post, and some research on our own, Deb and I decided there was no way either one of us would fly the puppy.
Deb has a (well deserved) wonderful reputation and I hate to see something like the above post make it seem otherwise.
BTW the puppy is nothing less than gorgeous and has been doing great!

That was such a sad heartbreaking story.

I would NEVER fly a dog in cargo... I worked for several airlines in my long history, commercial and corporate, and your dogs are baggage, ever had your toiletries make a mess in your Dobb kit in a flight???

don't fly your dogs, the pressure isn't stable, they aren't carefully watched, I don't care WHAT they guarantee.. it isn't safe

and I almost never say never but I would NEVER fly a dog... go drive there or don't do it

barb

Wow Marjorie. Little did I know that asking a simple question on the forum would provoke such an attack on myself and my puppy owners. I guess in the future I will email my lab breeder friends privately for info and forego your wrath.

I commented on this when it appeared on FB. It is a sad story for sure. I still feel that this man had some responsibility in the demise of his dog. If you look at the picture of the dog you can see his breathing could be compromised. That and his size along with the heat and humidity in Houston didn't help his ability to survive this trip. The man should have rented a van or driven in his own vehicle to his destination. Many people fly their animals with no problems including me. I would never fly a dog in the heat of Summer or freezing temperatures of Winter. I have used Continental/now United Pet safe many times and have only had great service and I believe that good care was given to my dogs. I am sure they are in a pressurized, temp controlled area, not in the luggage cargo. There are tragic endings and who knows what happened in those cases. In this case for the man to blame the airline only is not being honest with himself. I am only playing the Devil's advocate, why did he try to fly that big a dog in the heat of the Summer? He and the Airline ( if you think they are to blame) killed his dog. I am sorry for his loss. I pray it doesn't happen to anyone ever again but we have to take better precautions with our animals if we want a good outcome.

You blame the owner?

I read other similar stories in links provided. Do you blame all of the owners who flew their dogs on the United Program?

If it were me although I don't fly my dogs, I would be blaming the airline.

Unless the dog dies of a cardiac condition like TVD that existed prior or some other medical problem, then the airline did something wrong.

I think it was a woman who lost the dog, not a man but I didn't see this on Facebook. Maybe it was a family. I looked at the news articles and prefer not to read them again because it's disturbing.

Looks like the crazies are back from their shows. No one believes recent posts about almost everything.

I am not blaming the owner anymore than the airline. They both had a responsibility in this. Like you and I have said we would never fly an animal in the heat of summer. This man knew in his heart of hearts that he had some concerns when he put him on the plane. He said he was worried about him during the layover. I would have gotten off that plane and gotten my dog and found a flight in the evening or rented a different mode of transportation. I am really saying that he should never have put that dog on a plane to begin with. It is sad about his dog. No one can guarantee anyone anything. I was just saying that he should have found another way to get his dog where he wanted to go. We all need to use great sense about what we do in the best interest of our animals.