Dallas—
American Airlines confirms more than a half a dozen puppies died at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport while in transit. The dog-deaths are still under investigation."That is still really scary. I would never take my dog after hearing that," said Pricilla Wasson as she walked her dog one day after 7 puppies died after getting off an American Airlines flight. The airlines say the puppies were part of a group of 14 flying from Tulsa to O'Hare airport in Chicago on Tuesday morning.
A statement released by the air carrier reads in part, "unfortunately, before the seven could be boarded onto their connecting flights they became ill and subsequently died. Again, we are investigating to determine what happened to these animals from the time they arrived at our Tulsa facilities until they expired.
Veterinarian Dr. Karen Fling says the age of the pets makes their death all the more surprising.
"Generally younger animals are pretty resilient to travel, puppies kittens typically do well for air travel," Dr. Fling said.
American confirms the puppies flew in the plane's cargo compartment and were properly stored in crates.
American Airlines says it is still trying to determine what caused the death. The airline would not release the breed of the dead puppies or say if they belonged to the same owner,
The next time you fly, Dr. Fling recommends carefully reading the air transportation policies and making sure the plane's pet travel compartment is climate controlled. Shifts in temperature could affect your dog's health.
