Did this airline let a dog die on a flight? The dog’s owner thinks so and is now suing the airline and demanding a flight attendant be fired after a three-year-old bulldog passed away on a recent flight.
A traveling X-ray technician is claiming that Southwest Airlines is responsible for the death of her beloved bulldog during a recent flight. According to TMZ, a woman named Courtney was traveling on a Southwest Airlines flight to Pennsylvania with her 3-year old French Bulldog, Charlie, when the dog appeared to be having some breathing problems.
According to the passenger, the dog, which was being transported in a pet carrier, started having breathing problems during the connecting flight. When Courtney attempted to remove the dog from its carrier she was instructed not to by a flight attendant.
The bulldog, which was otherwise healthy says the passenger, ultimately succumbed on the flight despite the passengers protestations.
Earlier, Courtney indicated she’d asked the flight attendant to turn on the air conditioning for the dog, but was refused. Charlie was traveling in a pet carrier and is, according to the passenger, a comfort animal, and travels with her while she travels the country in support of her radiology technician job.
According to her laywyer, Courtney was offered a refund on her ticket by the airline, however, Courtney is now suing the airline over the situation.
In a statement shared by TMZ, Southwest Airlines had this to offer, “We are disheartened to learn about the passing of this Customer’s pet and have been in contact with her to learn more. Tens of thousands of Customers travel with cats and dogs every month on Southwest. While onboard the aircraft, pets must remain in their well-ventilated carriers at all times for the comfort and safety of fellow Customers.”
Actual dog not pictured
