Chicago’s CBS2 reports that fifteen puppies were loaded on a Chicago-bound American Airlines flight in Tulsa. A few hours later, five of the puppies were dead when they arrived at O’Hare airport. Two more died in the care of a veterinarian.

Rest assured, American Airlines is taking it very seriously, even if they don’t use those words. No airline wants to be known as puppy-killers.

“The aircraft held 14 animals (puppies of unknown breed) and they were alive when unloaded from the plane,” [an AA spokesperson] said via email. “The animals kennels were taken to a location at American’s facilities at O’Hare where they were to be kept until their connecting flight.”

At some point, seven of the puppies died.

“We are continuing our internal investigation into what happened once the animals arrived at O’Hare,” she said.

Temperatures reached 87 degrees in Tulsa yesterday morning before the plane took off, so the pups may have been victims of the current heat wave…or already sick when loaded on the plane. The airline is investigating.

Tipster Cosmic.charlie noted when he sent the story in: “Puppies shouldn’t fly. They should ride bikes instead.”

That cheered me up a little bit, at least. A little.

http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/08/american-airlines-investigatin.html
Dead Puppies Arrive On American Airlines Flight [CBS2]

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