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United suspends pet cargo flights after multiple dog-related incidents

Posted at 6:01 PM, Mar 20, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-20 18:02:21-04

In the wake of social media outrage over reports that a dog died on one of its flights Monday night after being put in an overhead bin, United Airlines acknowledged in a statement that a “tragic accident” had occurred.

United Airlines said it’s suspending a program that transports pets in cargo holds.

It will stop accepting new reservations for its PetSafe program, though it will honor any reservations made through March 20, the airline said.

The suspension comes as United reviews its pet transport policies, a process that should be completed by May 1.

“We’re going to do a top-to-bottom review of the PetSafe operation,” said United spokesman Charlie Hobart. “Our goal is to continue to ensure the safety and comfort of pets and all animals that fly with us.”

Related: Oscar Munoz’s tough ride as United CEO

Passengers can still carry small pets with them in carry-on luggage. Starting in April, in-cabin pets will be issued “bright colored bag tags” to help identify the animals.

United has experienced some major pet-traveling disasters recently. Last week, a small dog died after it was put in the overhead bin on a United flight. Then the carrier mistakenly shipped a Kansas-bound dog to Japan, and in a separate incident, it had to divert another flight to Akron, Ohio, after the airline realized a pet had been loaded onto the flight in error.