A colleague of mine shared this sad story about a dog lost in the Atlanta, Ga., airport just before Christmas that was recently found dead. It seems the dog, Nala, was hit by a car. In response, the airline will donate $1,000 to Atlanta Pet Rescue in Nala's memory.
What happened to Nala is not uncommon for animals that are stowed in cargo areas of airplanes during flights. From 2005 to 2009, U.S. Airlines killed, injured or lost 224 dogs; Continental had 58 deaths, injuries or lost pets, followed by Delta with 43 incidents, American Arlrines with 36 and United with 17.
These statistics prompted the U.S. Transportation Department to require airlines to record the number of pets that die on flights. Unfortunately, the reporting of these incidents is not perfect since airlines are not required to release data on the number of animals transported each month and the government doesn't keep track.
Airlines continue to have different standards, but no pets are allowed in cargo areas if temperatures at a departure or arrival city are too extreme.
Here are some 2010 reports from PetFlight.com:
October: No pet losses, one pet injury and one pet death.
September: Two pet losses, one pet injury and five pet deaths.
August: No pet losses, no pet injuries and six pet deaths.
July: Two pet losses, one pet injury and one pet death.
June: No pet losses, one pet injury and six pet deaths.
Because rules, regulations and extra charges vary, passengers should check with the airline to learn its policies and requirements regarding pets. Or, consider a pet-only airline like Pet Airways. It flies to less destinations, but each plane can hold about 50 average-sized pets. Each plane also has two pilots aboard and a special pet attendant.
