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Pets on Planes
Date: Apr 12, 2005
Contributor: Christian Barreiro
Airlines must report deaths of pets
U.S. airlines will be required to report to the government how many pets are killed on flights each month starting in June, more than eight years after a dog escaped his cage and eluded police at New York's LaGuardia Airport.
Consumers will be able to check how many pets were killed, lost or injured in the same government report that discloses late flights, diverted bags and traveler complaints, the U.S. Transportation Department said Monday in the Federal Register in Washington. The new rule grew from complaints by a customer whose dog, Boris, escaped from an airport kennel.
"We hope the reporting requirement will encourage airlines to go the extra mile in ensuring animals receive safe care and handling," said Mimi Brody, federal affairs director for the Humane Society of the United States.
Boris, a boxer-pit bull mix, ran onto the tarmac at LaGuardia on Dec. 24, 1996, was chased by a cargo crew, dashed through a terminal followed by police and finally bolted out the airport door, according to a USA Today report in 2000. The dog was found emaciated and dirty six weeks later in an abandoned building in Queens.
Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., introduced legislation requiring airlines to report animal incidents. The Boris bill folded into a broader aviation law enacted in April 2000.
The new rule will either force carriers to improve handling of pets or encourage them to stop carrying the animals, said David Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Association consumer group.
For more information relating to "Pets on Planes", please visit our Pets on Planes page.
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