ESA Weekly News Report September 14th: One Flight, Two Dead Emotional Support Animals

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  • ESA Weekly News Report September 14th: One Flight, Two Dead Emotional Support Animals

By: Rita Cunha Updated: December 4, 2020

emirate flight dead emotional support animal

Once more, we’re bringing you the most recent emotional support animal news report of the week.

But this time, we don’t have a happy story for you. We’re taking a look at how two French bulldogs died in the cargo hold of an Emirates flight recently. Keep reading to know the details of this sad incident.

Fatal Mixup with ESAs Aboard Emirates Flight

On August 21st, an Emirates plane left Dubai headed for Washington D.C. It was a normal flight—until two dogs were found dead on arrival in the cargo hold of the plane. The air carrier has issued its apologies to the owners, but there is still a lot to explain.

Panda and Beluga were two French bulldogs. These two lively pups belonged to a woman named Hannah, who is battling Leukemia and who went to Dubai for a cancer treatment.

When Hannah checked in at Dubai Airport, airline officials told her that Panda and Beluga could not travel in the cabin. This was because they were both over eight pounds, the weight restriction for pets. Thus, they would be placed below the cabin in an area designed for live animals. She then had to pay $2.600.

Unfortunately, when Hannah got to D.C., she received the news that both of her pooches had passed away during the flight. A necropsy shows that the cause of death was oxygen deprivation. Additionally, one of the dogs was found bloodied.

What’s more, Hannah had an ESA letter attesting that Panda was her emotional support animal. Therefore, according to the Air Carrier Access Act, Panda should have been allowed in the cabin. Moreover, Emirates should never have charged Hannah for shipping her ESA.

Hannah is now seeking justice for her two French bulldogs. The airline maintains that all safety procedures were taken. Evan Oshan, her lawyer, is looking to prove that Emirates was negligent when handling the dogs. Additionally, there may be enough to sue the airline for denying reasonable accommodation to this cancer patient.

Source: https://www.tmz.com/2020/09/12/leukemia-cancer-patient-emotional-support-dog-dead-emirates-flight/

CertaPet’s Thoughts on This Week’s News

This news is devastating to any pet parent or pet lover. We can’t imagine what Hannah is going through without her beloved Frenchies. The fact that these were preventable deaths is all the more painful. All we can do is hope this case gets solved fairly and quickly.

The Air Carrier Access Act applies to all emotional support animals and owners, even when they’re flying from abroad. Even though Panda was above the weight limit for pets, he should have been allowed to fly in the cabin. After all, he was an emotional support animal, not a pet.

Emotional support animals play a vital role in a person’s life because they help them cope with a mental or emotional disability. If you’re living with a mental or emotional disability, getting an ESA is worth looking into. Many people attest to the incredible difference an ESA makes in their life.

CertaPet is here to make the process of getting an ESA as easy and accessible as can be. To get started, take our 5-minute pre-screening test for free. We’ll put you in touch with a licensed mental health professional. If you qualify, they’ll issue your emotional support animal letter!


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