Dog dies during United Airlines flight after owner told to place pet in overhead bin

A French bulldog died somewhere between Houston and New York after a United Airlines flight attendant told a passenger to stow her pet in the overhead bin.

The 10-month-old puppy appears to have suffocated sometime mid-flight Monday while the dog’s owner and her two young children sat below unaware of the danger to their pet.

According to other passengers, the pet owner was told by a flight attendant the dog’s kennel was blocking the aisle. That’s when she was the pet must be stowed in the overhead bin despite the passenger’s protests.

Passenger Maggie Gremminger tweeted about ordeal saying she is heartbroken.

“I can’t get the image out of my head of the woman on the floor of the airplane aisle, crying and holding that sweet dog,” she wrote.

I want to help this woman and her daughter. They lost their dog because of an @united flight attendant. My heart is broken. pic.twitter.com/mjXYAhxsAq

— MaggieGremminger (@MaggieGrem) March 13, 2018

pic.twitter.com/ubK99l7Pd1

— MaggieGremminger (@MaggieGrem) March 14, 2018

I just flew into LGA and witnessed a United flight attendant instruct a passenger to put her dog bag in the overhead bin. It was clearly a dog and while the customer was adamant about leaving it under the seat, the attendant pushed her to do so. (1)

— MaggieGremminger (@MaggieGrem) March 13, 2018

Myself and a fellow passenger felt like that was NOT a thing. I am not a flight attendant tho. Maybe they have air ventilation in there that I didn’t know about. I tried googling rules about pets on board but didn’t have ample time before takeout. (2)

— MaggieGremminger (@MaggieGrem) March 13, 2018

At the end of the flight, the woman found her dog, deceased. She sat in the airplane aisle on the floor crying, and all of surrounding passengers were utterly stunned. (3)

— MaggieGremminger (@MaggieGrem) March 13, 2018

I am disgusted and traumatized. Pets are family. How could a trained flight attendant instruct a passenger to place her dog in that bin. It was her job to understand the plane and it’s rules/limitations. (4)

— MaggieGremminger (@MaggieGrem) March 13, 2018

I don’t know how I’ll sleep tonight. It was clearly a dog in a TSA approved dog bag. Why would the flight attendant force the woman to put her dog there? I could have done something. I’m so upset.

— MaggieGremminger (@MaggieGrem) March 13, 2018

Another passenger documented the ordeal on Facebook. (Warning, it includes a photo of the dead dog.)

“This little guy fought hard for his life, filling our flight with his cries until he finally ran out of breath,” June Lara posted on Facebook. “This poor family paid $125 for their pet to be murdered in front of them. There is no excuse for the pain this family is suffering.”

United does charge $125 for pets to ride in the cabin. Its pet policy also outlines the size of the kennels permitted.

But it says they must fit under the seat and without blocking the aisle.

The airline issued a statement about the incident.

“This was a tragic accident that should never have occurred, as pets should never be placed in the overhead bin,” United Airlines said in a statement. “We assume full responsibility for this tragedy and express our deepest condolences to the family and are committed to supporting them. We are thoroughly investigating what occurred to prevent this from ever happening again.”

Still, some are taking their rage out on passengers, like Gremminger.

Hey Twitter, I don’t need you reminding me to feel guilty. I could have spoken up but I didn’t because I didn’t understand the limitations of pet travel because I am not a flight attendant. I deeply regret that I trusted the authority on this flight. Please, be kind.

— MaggieGremminger (@MaggieGrem) March 13, 2018