Family Says 5-Year-Old Dog Died In United Cargo Hold

United Airlines is facing blame for another pet death today after a family in Houston says that their 5-year-old King Charles spaniel died in the cargo hold of a flight from Houston to San Francisco.

The family says that their pet was in the cargo hold of a flight to San Francisco. The flight was delayed for two hours on the tarmac, and the family told KTRK-TV that they believed the pet died while in the cargo hold. The pet’s cause of death hasn’t yet been determined.

While news outlets haven’t specified which days the family flew, this week, the high temperatures this week in Houston are in the low 90s, and low temperatures are in the mid-70s. King Charles spaniels have long coats and short snouts, both features that may make it difficult for them to deal with heat.

In a statement, United said:

We are so sorry to learn of Lulu’s passing and have reached out to our customer to offer our condolences and assistance. We are deeply upset any time an animal suffers an injury while traveling with us and especially grieved in the rare instance that one passes away. We are conducting a thorough review of this incident.

The controversy comes at an inconvenient time for United, as it deals with a lawsuit from the investors who were importing one of the world’s largest rabbits for display at the Iowa State Fair and other events. Simon the rabbit died for unknown reasons in transit, and the owners accuse United of abruptly having the critter cremated to prevent a necropsy from being performed.

Of course, United has also drawn a lot of attention in recent months for its treatment of humans on flights, beginning with an incident where a passenger was forcibly bumped from a flight and had to be dragged off the plane.

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