flyingdog

Finally. Starting March 1, Delta will no longer accept pets as checked baggage. While Delta has the worse record of any airline when it comes to pet deaths in flight, it should be a reminder to everyone of the dangers of sending your furbaby as checked baggage with any airline. Already, JetBlue and Southwest accept pets as carry-ons only. Here are the details.

Via Mashable.

In an effort to make itself more pet-friendly, Delta is stopping one of the most dangerous methods of flying for pets: As checked baggage.

According to the Department of Transportation, a total of 76 animals died aboard Delta flights over the past 10 years — the highest of any U.S. airline.

The last reported death happened on Nov. 28. Somewhere between Atlanta and Pittsburgh, a Mini Dalmatian puppy died in the cargo hold of a Delta flight. The puppy was flying from Albany, Georgia: After a three-hour layover in Atlanta, it was loaded onto the Pittsburgh-bound flight. When gate crew unloaded the plane, they found the puppy was unresponsive.

SEE ALSO: A pilot diverted an international flight to save a dog traveling in cargo

This most recent death of a checked pet on a Delta flight will be the last, if the airline can help it. Delta will no longer carry pets as checked baggage starting March 1.

The airline will still allow pets to be transported in the cabin, if they are small enough to fit in a carrier under a seat, or shipped via Delta Cargo’s pet shipping Variation Live program.

The Humane Society recommends that pet owners “do not transport your pet by airplane unless absolutely necessary,” and to choose keeping the pet in the cabin if possible.

“We want consumers to be well-informed about the risks of flying,” KC Theisen, director of pet care issues at The Humane Society of the United States, told Mashable. “Cargo hold is not the passenger cabin, just a floor down.”

The steps that pet owners should take before travel:

Click through and read the whole thing.

This section is for comments from tammybruce.com's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Tammy agrees with or endorses any particular comment just because she lets it stand.

You must be logged in to post a comment.