THE ISSUE

WHAT IS THE REAL PROBLEM IN THE AIR TRANSPORT OF COMPANION ANIMALS?

People are often unaware that flights end in tragedy much more often than most of us realize and that the number of accidents resulting in death, injury or loss are much higher than we are led to believe. In the last 18 years there have been 365 deaths, 213 injuries and 54 animals lost on flights within the US alone, which is the only country that is required to keep and provide records to the transport authorities. Almost all deaths are caused by pneumonia, suffocation, heat stroke, heart failure and symptoms related to anxiety.

These tragic events are often due to staff negligence on the ground at the airport.

Airlines and airports, in collaboration with animal transport companies, are selling a false reality from which many profit and in which nobody prioritizes the welfare of animals because there are no protocols in place or the existing ones are not enough. There’s a lack of training in regards to animal care for aeronautical personnel (cabin and on the ground), security personnel and outsourced handling companies. On the other hand, the existing regulations on user information are not complied with either.

IN THE HOLD

In the cargo hold they are cut off and alone, in the dark and surrounded by suitcases and with other animal species. They endure very loud sounds and strong, unpleasant smells. Nobody is there to see and prevent an accident or to intervene and help in case of an emergency. If the alarm goes off the pilot must depressurized the hold.

https://flytogether2021.wixsite.com/website/whatisthecargohold

IN CABIN

In the cabin they are forced to travel within their carrier that must fit and be placed on the floor underneath the seat in front of you and under no circumstances are they to be removed from this carrier. They are essentially at the mercy and empathy shown by each flight crew.

AT THE AIRPORT

At the airport they are treated like objects; handled roughly, without control, their carriers are stacked together, they get dropped and carriers break, they get left waiting for long periods of time on the tarmacs under extreme weather conditions. This is animal abuse.

On the other hand, the airline does not have to take responsibility if there’s an accident, there aren’t any protocols in place to deal with one, the airport authorities never offer any assistance when needed and in most cases the staff that manage the animals don’t belong to the airlines but are sub-contracted and don’t have the necessary skills or empathy to handle animals. We believe the time has come to question this situation at an international level and to propose alternatives to airlines, the airport authorities and governments.

The Human Society and Animal Defense Fund and all official animal welfare organizations openly discourage flying animals and more so in the cargo hold. Likewise, almost all veterinarians and professional dog and cat behaviorists and handlers, as well as ethologists, also discourage flying with your pet either in the cabin or cargo hold. Not only because of possible physical harm or risk of death, but because of the physcological trauma that many of them suffer that often goes unseen. Each animal is different, just as we humans are.

 

Additionally, the issue of both the handling company and the airport’s responsibility needs to be reviewed because companion animals are considered sentient beings and are thus subjects of rights and not merely things. There are no established protocols to properly manage their transit and the airport authorities never offer collaboration when incidents do occur. In most cases the workers who manage the animals do not belong to the airlines but to subcontracted companies that lack experience and empathy in the handling of animals.