Delta Airlines kills another pet: kitten dies of cold in cargo hold

After a pet death earlier this month, you’d expect Delta Airlines to inspect and improve its protocols for transporting animals.

Sadly, another pet has died after a flight on one of their jets – Snickers the (hairless) kitten was just eleven weeks old when she made the trip from Utah to Connecticut.

Her owner, Heather Lombardi paid just under $290 for the pet ticket, which included a $50 surcharge to have Snickers removed from the hold immediately upon landing.

Unfortunately, someone screwed up, as Snickers was left in the hold for 50 minutes in 10 degree weather. When she was reunited with her owner, she could not move her head or paws, and was rushed to a vet wrapped in a coat. Upon arrival at the vet, she had passed away. Because of the cold, Snickers was bleeding from the mouth and nose, a symptom of hypothermia.

A Delta Airlines spokeswoman had the following to say:

“We are turning our attention now to offering our condolences and discussing how we can provide some kind of restitution to support her during this time”

Sadly this is just another tragic incident that shows the need for better regulation of pet transport. The US Department of Transportation does track animal deaths, but only of pets that die in transit in the cabin. No numbers are recorded for deaths of pets in the cargo hold.


Click here to learn all about “a day in the life of a pet in airline cargo” from our friends at AOL Travel


[Photo: AP/Heather Lombardini]

Disney World unveils luxury pet resort

Forget the dog house – soon you’ll find Pluto and his friends living the luxe life at the new Best Friends Pet Resort, a Disney World hotel designed exclusively for pets.

Reports show the resort boasts 50,000 square feet of space (almost half of which is outdoors) and can lodge 270 dogs, 30 cats and various other animals including birds, pigs (yes, pigs) and hamsters. Sorry, no turtles, snakes or lizards allowed.

The room rate starts at $39 for dogs, but that’s just for the basics. If your pet is used to living in style, the Disney Best Friends Pet Resort won’t disappoint. You can upgrade your pets’ stay with playgroups, movie time, private play areas and reading groups (that’s right, reading groups). For the ultimate pet pampering, splurge and reserve the 226-square foot suite with private outdoor play areas.

Best Friends Pet Resort will replace the five kennels existing around the Disney area and plans to open on Aug. 27, according to the Associated Press.

Travel Trends: Pet travel

From doggy daycare to feline pampering to gourmet food and beyond, pet owners in the United States shower their furry companions with a healthy dose of attention. Although this affection is shown through lots of play time and generous ear scratching, it’s most easily recognizable by the billions of dollars spent every year in the pet industry.

Since 1994, the American Pet Products Association (APPA) has kept track of just how much Americans spend on their pets. The data verifies that with every new year, U.S. pet owners have spent increasingly more on their four-legged counterparts. In fact, within the 10 years between 1994 and 2004, the spending literally doubled from $17 billion to $34 billion. Fast forward to 2010, a mere 6 years later, and that number has skyrocketed to approximately $47.4 billion.

While money spent on pets includes vet fees, food and other typical expenses, a large chunk of that is devoted to leisure-related activities like pampering and lodging. This increased amount of spending is partially due to a growing trend in the pet industry that has owners toting their pets along with them on vacation.

The Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) released data in January of 2009 that said the most popular animal that pet owners bring with them on vacations is a dog. This is likely due to the canine’s happy-go-lucky attitude and ability to adapt to new environments quickly. Coming in at second place are felines at 15 percent, followed by birds at 3 percent and “others” at 2 percent (other includes ferrets, fish, rabbits).

As for how pets travel, transportation via cars is by far the most common. And, according to a the same travel poll conducted by TIA, only 6 percent of animals travel with an airline and 10 percent travel in a recreational vehicle.

Once a pet and its owner have finally reached their destination, finding a place to stay is the next detail to figure out. As of 2009, 32 percent of travelers stay with someone who they already know, such as a friend or relative. Twenty nine percent stay in a hotel, 16 percent opt for a recreation vehicle or tent and the final 10 percent stay in a cabin or vacation home. This information is also based on data gathered by TIA.

This discussion “begs” the question: do you travel with your pet(s)? No? Then be sure to check out “Ask Gadling: How to prepare for not traveling without your dog.”

Data Sources:

See more Travel Trends.

Guaranteed on Board program gives pet owners peace of mind

Passengers flying with their pets have always had a rough time navigating the tricky rules surrounding pet carriers. And many have been frustrated to find that carriers that they thought were approved for travel in the plane’s cabin were deemed unsuitable by gate agents. When that happens, many pet owners find themselves out of luck – unable to board the plane, but not eligible for a refund on the flight.

To help, the Sherpa pet carrier company has teamed up with eight pet-friendly airlines to offer the “Guaranteed on Board” program, a sort of insurance policy for those traveling with their pets. The GOB website details the sizes and types of carriers allowed on each airline. Passengers who purchase an approved carrier can go online to register it (after making arrangements to bring the pet on board directly with the airline they are flying) print out the Guaranteed on Board certificate and bring it with them to the airport. If they are then refused boarding by an airline official due to the carrier, the program will reimburse them for the cost of the missed flight.

Airlines participating in the program include American, Midwest AirTran, Continental, Northwest, Delta, Southwest, and Alaska. American and Delta have even designed their own bags, which they sell on the Sherpa website. If your pet can’t fly on its own airline, at least you can have some assurance that your carrier will be up to spec, or you’ll get your money back for being bumped off a flight.

Wag Hotels


Forget traveling with the kids. On my flight out from Jersey into Orlando I noticed unusually high numbers in canines on board and few children. Unless everyone flying in with their dog was heading home then they had to be taking their pet to some animal-friendly hotel, but where? Since I don’t have any pets, nor do I live in Orlando I didn’t exactly set out to find pet-friendly hotels in the Orlando area, rather just hotels catering to puppy and kitty in general. That being said, I bring to you Wag Hotels. Based out of California, this line of uppity, yet affordable pet boarding and kenneling, looks like a pretty nice place to take your pooch. During their stay at Wag Hotels pets will have the opportunity to play with other pets and make new friends all under the care and supervision of the extensively trained staff. Does your dog need a massage? How about a swim the pool or even a peaceful nap? Wag’s experts can see that it happens. In short, if you happen to be in the Sacramento or San Fran, CA areas or heading there make sure you don’t over look placing your pup in some average old pet-friendly haunt. Give them star treatment!