There were two dog-related incidents during air transportation in February 2007, when two dogs died during separate flights weeks apart, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation report released April 2.
The most recent incident occurred Feb. 15 after a Pug traveling inside the cabin of an Alaska Airlines flight suddenly died. A flight attendant administered oxygen and CPR to the dog, but was unable to revive the pet, according to Alaska Air’s incident report.
The cause of the dog’s death was undetermined.
On Feb. 2, an English Bulldog died during an American Airlines flight from Miami to Los Angeles. The cause of death was later ruled to be heatstroke.
According to the airline’s incident report, the dog arrived for the flight “with fever and very ill.” A subsequent necropsy report stated that the death was likely complicated by brachycephalic syndrome, airway obstruction, which is common in Bulldogs and Pugs.
Testing was performed on the aircraft’s ventilation system and all systems were found to have performed properly.
The ground temperature in Miami – 82 degrees Fahrenheit – may have been a contributing factor given the sensitivity of Bulldogs and snub-nosed animals in general, according to the airline.
Federal law requires U.S. airlines to report to the Department of Transportation all incidents involving the loss, injury or death of animals during transportation. So far in 2007, there have been three pet-related incidents: the two in February and an incident involving a runaway cat in January, according to the DOT.
There were a total of 26 animal fatalities – mostly dogs – before, during or after air transport in 2006. There were also 11 animals injured and 12 animals lost at United States airports last year, according to DOT statistics.