On Monday night, a 10-month-old Frenchie puppy died on a United Airlines flight after an attendant forced him into an overhead bin.
One passenger shared that during their flight, an attendant insisted that the woman put her dog, which was held in a TSA-approved pet carrier, in an overhead bin for the rest of the 3-hour-long flight.
Passengers could hear barking from the overhead compartment during the rest of the flight from Houston to LaGuardia Airport.
Maggie Gremminger, a passenger on the flight, uploaded a photo of the dog’s owners on Twitter.
I want to help this woman and her daughter. They lost their dog because of an @united flight attendant. My heart is broken. pic.twitter.com/mjXYAhxsAq
— Maggie Gremminger (she/her) (@MaggieGrem) March 13, 2018
“There was no sound as we landed and opened his kennel,” passenger June Lara wrote.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1681985361861804&id=100001510687550&pnref=story
@united @FAANews Another reason I will never ever fly or support doing business with United Airlines! #unitedsucks
— JDUB (@jweatherly34) March 13, 2018
I hate flying United. I try to avoid it all costs. Shame on them.
— Dr. Stacey L. Camp (@staceylcamp) March 13, 2018
A United spokesperson addressed the incident on the travel site The Points Guy: “This was a tragic accident that should never have occurred, as pets should never be placed in the overhead bin. We assume full responsibility for this tragedy and express our deepest condolences to the family and are committed to supporting them. We are thoroughly investigating what occurred to prevent this from ever happening again.”
According to United’s website, its policy for onboard pets is: “A pet traveling in cabin must be carried in an approved hard-sided or soft-sided kennel. The kennel must fit completely under the seat in front of the customer and remain there at all times.”
An investigation is in progress to see that the flight attendant responsible will be dealt with.
Rest in peace, Kokito.