Being an animal advocate I can’t pass by the hot topic right now concerning a precious dog who lost his life on an airplane. This little 10 month old puppy’s life was lost tragically. A flight attendant forced passengers to put their dog in the over head bin. If you haven’t heard about this, the video below will explain.
There are all kinds of heated discussions about this on social media. Some blame the dog’s mom (hate the word “owner”), other’s blame the flight attendant and some blame both.
I look into those eyes and my heart is broken.
To me it seems the flight attendant wasn’t looking at this dog as a living, feeling being. She treated him as an object.
One big question being asked, should the flight attendant be fired? What do you think?
Note: I would like to take this time to share this great article I came across: Scholarly Support for Nonhuman Rights. I thought it was fitting. I think this is great but I have always known…animals are not and never have been “property” (and in this puppy’s case “a piece of luggage”).
Animals Are Feeling Beings Too 
Sadly, it does not end there.
http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/after-dog-died-in-overhead-carrier-on-united-airlines-plane-they-sent-family-pet-to-wrong-city/news-story/b60f2b4bb1f161f08a9075aaac581f77
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Oh my goodness!
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Horrific. I knew there was a reason I discontinued air travel long ago. Do they also stash human infants in overhead bins? I think a boycot of United Airlines and any other airline with this practice is in order.
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Definitely something needs to be done.
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What a stupid flight attendant. I’d refuse and say I need to speak to the pilot/co-pilot or security. I don’t care who. I’d rather her get off. Get the flight attendants name and go hash it out with customer service and her supervisor in the airport. People just give in sometimes, it’s hard and inconvenient, but it’s not worth any living animal or humans life.
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I heard the plane was moving so they couldn’t get off. But I feel I still would have refused and made a BIG fuss about it. We’re talking about a life here!
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Of course, I’d ask to speak to her supervisor (the attendant in charge). Or another attendant even. Maybe this girl just didn’t get it. I don’t get how. But surely another person would’ve been more aware. Or other passengers? Ask for their help.
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I feel plane moving or not, I’d be throwing a fit and making a big scene!
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Me too!
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Stupid family too. You don’t agree. You make a scene and embarrass the flight attendant. I would have checked on her despite turbulence. F the flight attendant. Sorry, but his makes me so mad.
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I know what you mean, I feel nothing would have stopped me from checking on my pet.
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Me too.
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Thanks for all your comments. It seems people don’t like these kind of posts as much as some of my other ones. But I am an animal advocate, sometimes these things need to be discussed. How else are things going to change in this world for animals?
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I agree. This one made me really angry. I saw it in the news too. Overall, united Airlines have been terrible to pets and humans alike.
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Agreed. Did the flight attendant understand what was in the bag? Did the “check-in” folk know that an animal was being boarded? I would have thought that the flight attendant who greeted and directed boarding passengers would have taken the bag and stored it safely …. if he/she knew what was inside. I had a similar experience years when I boarded with a guitar case. They made it quite clear that I could not take it to my seat, but they would look after it … which they did.
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There have been questions raised about whether or not the flight attendant knew there was a dog inside. But the family said they told her a few times. I would have shouted it at the top of my lungs to be sure they heard me correctly and I would have refused!
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Absolutely agree. If the flight attendant was insistent, I would have made so much noise that the whole plane, include the cockpit crew, would have heard me. They do have space for storing unique items.
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From what I saw, the family said no, our dog is in there. But the flight attendant wasn’t paying attention. She insisted and there was some understanding language issues with accents etc. As, at the end, the flight attendant is described as ‘frazzled’ and didn’t know there was a dog in the case. I don’t know how u couldn’t. They said the dog barked softly at first, so I imagine he would bark when the flight attendant picked him up.and stowed him. Why the family wouldn’t get up and check, I don’t understand, even with some turbulence. When he stopped woofing, I’d be worried. Yes Colin, you’re right about it. They should have looked after the dog better. Their carriers I’d think wold be fairly common on flights that an attendant would recognize one? I always do.
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Exactly. There are no excuses. Somebody should have tried harder to communicate, to check on the dog, etc.
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I think that you have to make so much noise/fuss that either they let you stow it under your seat or they have to turn back to the gate and remove you from the plane – either way your dearest dog would survive. There are always going to be stupid people telling people the wrong information and sometimes resulting in a tragedy like this. Saying sorry afterwards changes nothing as the dog is still gone.
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Thank you Karen for your comment. You are so right on all of what you said.
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