A dog is dead after what was supposed to be 9 hours of travel with United Airlines turned into more than 24 hours of that dog being missing. Jacob was a healthy 7 year old Golden Retriever who had been cleared by a vet for the airline’s mandatory health check just a day prior.
When Kathleen Considine moved from Detroit Michigan to Portland Oregon she didn’t have the money to transport her beloved dog along with her initially. Jacob stayed with family in Michigan until enough money was saved to afford the dog’s flight.
Excited to finally have her dog, the flight was supposed to be 9 hours with a 1 hour layover in Chicago. However, a logistical mix-up at the airline meant the golden retriever’s crate would not fit on the connecting flight. This mistake meant beloved companion Jacob would have to spend the night without basic essentials including food after an already stressful flight experience and finish his journey the following day. Considine flew her dog using the United Airlines Pet Safe program which boasts on their website:
“PetSafe offers airport-to-airport travel for animals. Our program includes a dedicated 24-hour PetSafe desk, the ability to track your pets from origin to destination and much more.”
The dog arrived in Portland after more than 24 hours and was noticeably in grave distress. “His breathing started becoming really scarce and I rushed him to the emergency vet, where they got him on a table right away,” Considine said. “They did eight minutes of CPR and then they lost him.”
Kathleen Considine has taken to social media to spread the story, and stated on her facebook page:
“United Airlines “PetSafe” program is cruel. They treat animals like baggage. They did not care if Jacob had food or water or any time out of his cage. They are incredibly rude and have shown no sympathy for my dog’s death. I would have received the same responses if they were to have broken my guitar in baggage.”
Unfortunately, this is not the first time United Airlines has mishandled their K9 travelers. Not too long ago the airline almost killed a Greyhound with hypothermia, and then shipped a Springer Spaniel to Ireland instead of Phoenix. Additionally, they refused to pay the veterinarian bills until the dogs’ owners signed a NDA (non-disclosure agreement) to keep the dog owners from going public and talking about their experiences. See the related article and video, United Airlines: not as pet friendly or safe as advertised.
Kathleen Consadine with her best friend, 7 year old Golden Retriever, Jacob. Photo: Kathleen Consadine Facebook
