More animals ran into trouble on Delta flights last year

By Kelly Yamanouchi

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

More than 20 animals died or were injured or lost on Delta Air Lines flights last year, a number that shows the dangers pets can face when they take to the skies.

The Delta incidents, including those on Delta Connection regional flights,  involved several bulldogs and pugs that died during transit, along with other types of dogs  and animals that ran into trouble during their travels. According to Delta reports to the U.S. Department of Transportation for last year through November, other animals that died included a Jack Russell terrier, a pit bull terrier, a Boston terrier, a Dogue de Bordeaux, a Labrador retriever and a bird.

Animals that were lost included a dog named Paco, missing after a flight from Mexico, and a cat. Yet to be reported are incidents in December, including one in which a dog traveling on Delta was lost in Atlanta and was run over by a car.

The number of incidents on Atlanta-based Delta marks a sharp increase from 2009, when fewer than 10 were reported by Delta. Those figures  included Northwest, which was then in the process of merging operations with Delta.

Delta spokesman Anthony Black said the airline transports thousands of animals annually.

"After every event where we've had an injury or pet loss, we use that investigation to determine if there are any ways we can improve our processes to ensure safer travel of our animals and pets as cargo," Black said. "The majority of the time, the causes are undetermined."

Airlines are required to report animal incidents to the government, though they are not required to  include animals that are not pets.

Louise Murray, vice president at ASPCA Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital, said that because of the way pugs and bulldogs are bred, they are among the dogs most affected by some of the challenges of flying.

Compared to other breeds, bulldogs have much narrower windpipes, Murray said.

"The bulldogs struggle to breathe even at rest, even at ideal conditions," Murray said. If they get too warm or too stressed, or have inadequate ventilation, "they can very, very quickly and easily get into a state of respiratory distress, which can end up in death," she said.

Some animals become injured during flights, including a cat on Delta that was improperly loaded into a bin kept at a temperature that was too low and then suffered a self-inflected tongue injury, possibly because of stress. Delta reported it took corrective action, including an investigation and follow-up with those who had incorrectly loaded the cat. In another incident, a pit bull terrier arrived from its flight bleeding around its mouth after chewing parts of the kennel and water dish.

"Anytime a dog panics, they can get into trouble, they can injure themselves severely," Murray said. She said she recommends that pet owners use additional measures to keep a carrier closed because the door can "work its way open." She also said the pet should have an ID tag and microchip before traveling.

"It's possible for an animal to suffer, become ill or even die, without outright errors by an airline," Murray said. "It is a good reason to hesitate before putting your animal underneath the plane, because things can happen."