Skies Are Friendly for Pets
Four pets died on commercial airline flights and five pets were
injured in May, according to the first monthly animal incident
report issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
With six U.S. airlines reporting a total of 10 animal-related
incidents, the DOT’s Air Travel Consumer Report released
July 7 substantiates airlines’ claims that they transport
the vast majority of animals safely.
According to the report, a cat named Tango was killed in
the cargo hold by a dog that escaped from a kennel that apparently
was not strong enough. Another cat escaped from its kennel
while being transported from the cargo area to the passenger
terminal and was never found. One of the two dogs that died
had a heart problem, and another appeared to have ingested
a toxic substance before the flight. A rat apparently died
of natural causes.
The first Animal Incident Report was mandated by a Federal
Aviation Administration rule that became effective in April.
The FAA final rule implements a 2000 federal law requiring
commercial airlines to report the incidents to the U.S. Department
of Transportation’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division.
Each U.S. airline that transports animals must submit a monthly
Animal Incident Report describing the nature of the loss or
injury as well as any remedial action that the carrier may
take to prevent future incidents.
The reporting requirements do not apply to incidents involving
commercial animal shipments.
“We applaud the DOT for publishing the animal incident
report, as the statistics fully support our position that
air travel is the safest means of transportation for pets,”
said Gale Young, president of the Independent Pet and Animal
Transportation Association (Holly Lake Ranch, Texas). “These
extremely low incidents decisively dispute the exaggerated
claims by some who have asserted that thousands of animals
are maimed or killed onboard aircraft every year.
“We have found that many incidents occur not because
of anything the airline did or failed to do, but because the
pet owner has not acted responsibly,” Young added. “For
example, he may not have chosen a safe kennel/crate for his
pet or the most ideal flight or routing, or he may have tranquilized
his pet against the advice of the airlines and the American
Veterinary Medical Association. And, of course, the pet owner
may be unaware that his animal has a pre-existing medical
condition that put the pet at high risk.”
For a copy of the report, visit http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/reports.
[September 2005 PET AGE]
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