A German shepherd that went on an unscheduled flight trip to Japan has been a guest on several television shows this week in the U.S. His owner, Kara Swindle, was flying from Oregon to Kansas City, Missouri, on Tuesday. Her two children were also on the same flight. At the destination, when she was told by cargo handlers that a “beautiful Great Dane” was waiting for her, Ms. Swindle knew something was amiss. As it turned out, the two dogs had swapped their destinations in Denver due to mishandling by the airline. Irgo, Ms. Swindle’s dog, was now on a flight to Japan.
There are 77 million pet dogs and 85 million pet cats in America, it has been estimated, half the number of guns. Up to two million animals take a flight in America each year, including pets, and accidents involving animals are not uncommon. Earlier this week, a 10-month-old French bulldog puppy named Kokito died during a flight from Houston to New York after a flight attendant ordered the owner to place the dog in the overhead bin. Three dogs went to a wrong destination this week. This was a bad week for flying pets.
Irgo may not agree necessarily, after a return flight from Japan on a chartered jet and several television appearances. United Airlines offered to fly Irgo first class from Japan on the next scheduled flight, but Ms. Swindle would take none of it. “It had to be my way,” she told CNN on Friday, Irgo by her side, which was a bit tired after the Asia trip. The airline flew it on its corporate jet. “He is being flown by private charter, and being treated like the king he is!!!” Ms. Swindle posted on Facebook as the special flight took off, with pictures of Irgo being pampered by flight attendants. “He’s never going to want to fly regular again,” she told another channel.
American carriers allow pets in cabin for ticket prices ranging from $75 to $125. If the cage cannot be placed underneath the seat in front, the animal has to go as cargo. Service dogs for disabled people fly for free, but carriers are finding it difficult to deal with a rising trend of well-bodied travellers claiming the right to take “emotional support animals” on-board. After passengers carried, or tried to carry, snakes, rodents, spiders, peacocks and pigs for ‘emotional support’, carriers have had to tighten the leash. Many animals are not being allowed now.
For those whom air travel is stressful, 30 airports in America offer therapy dogs. Passengers could pet them and play with them.
Atoning for a misplaced dog
The death of Kokito was bad publicity for United Airlines, as it generated a whole lot of social media comments. That was perhaps also the reason behind the royal treatment that Irgo received. However, only hours after Irgo returned, another United flight from Newark to St. Louis took off with a wrong dog. This time, the airline diverted the flight to the dog’s destination rather than landing the dog in the wrong destination. “The pet has been safely delivered to its owner. We provided compensation to all customers on board for the diversion,” the airline said in a statement on Friday.
In what could perhaps be termed barking up the right tree, two U.S., Senators John Kennedy and Cortez Masto, have proposed a ban on dogs being placed in overhead bins, in a prompt legislative response. And they are calling it the Welfare of Our Furry Friends, or WOOFF Act.
Ms. Swadle is planning to sue the United. Irgo, now has a different idea of a dog’s life. But the Great Dane that faced the same ordeal remains nameless and faceless. Talk of some animals being more equal!
