It hasn’t even been a week since a mother flying United Airlines with her children was forced to put their 10-month-old puppy, against regulations, in an overhead bin, resulting in its death. Now, just one day after that, another family sits at home wringing their hands in worry over their dog who was mistakenly shipped to Japan by the very same airline.
If you must travel with your pets, no matter what you do, please don’t fly them on United Airlines.
Kara and Joseph Swindle, along with their two children, landed in Kansas City, Missouri on Tuesday fully expecting to be reunited with their beloved German Shepherd, Irgo. Instead, the family was greeted with a Great Dane that they had never laid eyes on before.
WHAT HAPPENED?
So, here’s what happened, according to United. There was a mix-up with the two dogs, and United sent Irgo to Japan, instead of the Great Dane. A spokesperson confirmed the story to Huffington Post.
“An error occurred during connections in Denver for two pets sent to the wrong destinations,” he said. “We have notified our customers that their pets have arrived safely and will arrange to return the pets to them as soon as possible. We apologize for this mistake and are following up with the vendor kennel where they were kept overnight to understand what happened.”
Kara Swindle and her family are in the process of moving from Oregon to Witchita Kansas. She told reporters that she just wants her beloved dog to be safe.
I don’t understand how things like this happen.. my poor irgy is now sitting in Japan because of United Airlines, Denver International Airport’s & Paradise 4 Paws Denver’s screw up..
Posted by Kara Swindle on Wednesday, March 14, 2018
“I don’t know what else to do at this point,” said Kara. “I can’t cry anymore. I’ve cried too much.”
The only good thing to come out of this mix-up is at least Irgo got to see Japan, which many of us would like to do.
DON’T FLY YOUR PET ON UNITED
United had the highest number of pet deaths and injuries of any airline in the United States in 2017. There were a total of 24 animal deaths last year, and a full 18 of them were on United Airlines. So, please, never fly on United with your pets, no matter what you do. If you must fly with your pet, use another airline.
If you find yourself flying with your pet, please check with the airline for specific instructions as well as their safety record regarding pets. Experts say that while the vast majority of pets do arrive just fine when flown in a cargo area, it is not recommended that you do so.
“Putting pets in cargo areas should be avoided whenever possible,” Inga Fricke, director of pet retention programs at The Humane Society of the United States said. “Once that animal is out of your control, there are so many risks it can be exposed to that it’s just not worth it.
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