A French bulldog forced to fly coach from New York City to San Francisco died from complications brought on by anxiety, according to its grieving owner.
A civil suit filed this month in San Francisco reportedly accuses Alaska Airlines of ordering a passenger and his father, who were traveling with two dogs, to give up their first-class seats and move their pups to a more crowded area in coach “for safety purposes.”
According to court papers reviewed by NBC News, Plaintiff Michael Contillo claims he specifically purchased first-class tickets to give the dogs more space around fewer people.
When Contillo voiced his concerns that Ash and Kora could become anxious by the move, potentially leading to “dangerous breathing and heart problems,” those worries allegedly went “ignored” by the flight crew. He eventually complied with the orders and took the crated pups to the coach section of the plane.
Contillo contends one of the dogs didn’t handle the move well.
“Ash immediately started breathing very quickly and heavily, with noticeable anxiety,” the lawsuit claims.
When the plane reached an altitude where it was safe for Contillo and his dad to check on the dogs, 3-year-old Ash was already dead. Rigor mortis set in by the time the flight landed on the West Coast, the suit alleges.
Contillo, who doesn’t have children, compares losing Ash to the death of “a son” in his lawsuit. Along with not listening to his concerns, he also accuses the flight crew not showing the “slightest bit of compassion” after the dog died.
According to the plaintiff, he had no problem getting the dogs to New York in first class and doesn’t know why coming back the same way was an issue.
Contillo says he took the dogs to a vet before embarking on the trip home, and the vet “confirmed that both dogs were healthy and would be safe to take a cross-country flight.” Contillo alleges Alaska Airline’s negligence and breach of contract led to Ash’s death.
TheFrenchBulldog.com warns about the flight risks that come with transporting snub-nosed dogs such as Frenchies. The site states they “cannot” fly in a plane’s cargo area and lists the airlines that allow that breed to travel in an aircraft’s cabin.
