NBC
Janet Sinclair said that Sedona suffered from a heat stroke after the trip. The dog's crate was reportedly filled with blood, feces, and urine.A pet owner is claiming that United Airlines nearly killed one of her beloved animals—then tried to bully her into staying silent about it.
When Janet Sinclair decided to move from San Diego to Boston in July, she signed up for United Airlines’ “PetSafe” program, which promises that personal handlers would make sure her pets will never “be exposed to temperatures greater than 85 degrees for more than 45 minutes."
But when Sinclair arrived in Boston, she said her greyhound Sedona was steps away from death.
"Sedona’s entire crate was filled with blood, feces, urine," Sinclair told NBC Bay Area. "Sedona was in full heat stroke. All of the blankets were filled with blood. She was urinating and defecating blood. She was dying, literally, right in front of me."
NBC
Sedona is Sinclair’s beloved greyhound. The pet owner said that her dog nearly died after traveling via United Airlines’ “PetSafe” program.
Sinclair had paid extra for the animals to stop in Houston to take a break from flying in an air-conditioned vehicle.
Instead, when she looked outside her airplane window at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, she saw Sedona’s supposed “personal handler” kicking the dog’s crate.
The employee was reportedly shoving the dog and her other pet—a cat named Alika—under the plane’s wing. The weather in Houston that day was as high as 94 degrees.
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United Airlines’ ‘PetSafe’ program promised that ‘pets receive personal handling in climate-controlled vehicles for connections in United's hubs.’ Instead, Sinclair’s animals were shoved into a bit of shade.
So much for a comfortable, air-conditioned ride.
"And the woman in front of me said – 'Is that your dog?'" Sinclair said. "And she said, ‘Honey, I sure hope you’re taking video of this.’ And that was the beginning of the worst day of my life."
Sinclair started taking a cell-phone video of the incident, which she later used as ammunition in her fight against United Airlines.
Sedona and Alika survived the extreme heat conditions, but the dog had to spend three days in the intensive care unit of a hospital. The bills came to $2,700.
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United Airlines agreed to apy for Sedona’s medical expense—but only if Sinclair promised to sign a non-disclosure agreement. The dog owner refused to keep quiet.
Sinclair said that both her animals had been cleared for travel by a vet in San Diego. The vet that treated Sedona discovered that the greyhound had suffered from heat stroke, urinary tract infection and liver problems. The vet said that the dog’s ordeal was a result of her mishandling during the United Airlines flight.
"We have no reason to believe that these medical problems were due to underlying disease, and we believe that these medical problems were secondary to hyperthermia that she suffered during her United Airlines flight,” the report states.
But a United Airlines investigation into the incident concluded that Sedona had a pre-existing health condition. Still, the airlines agreed to foot the bill —but only if Sinclair signed a non-disclosure agreement and promised not to talk to the press.
NBC
Janet Sinclair started a Facebook campaign for Sedona, where she discovered many other pet owners had similar experiences on airlines.
Staying silent wasn’t an option for this pet owner.
Sinclair has decided to make her plea public. She started a Facebook campaign, where other pet owners have shared stories about their own pet’s harrowing experiences on planes.
In a statement, United Airlines said that they didn’t pay up because Sinclair unfortunately “declined to accept the terms of the agreement."
“We are committed to ensuring safe and comfortable travel of all the pets that fly with us and regret that Sedona did not have a good experience,” the statement said.
Janet Sinclair started a Facebook campaign to raise awareness about Sedona’s harrowing ordeal.
But this isn’t the first time an airline has been accused of mishandling its furry wards.
NBC discovered that within the last year, more than 300 pets have died, been hurt, or gotten lost while traveling on airplanes.
The Department of Transportation requires airlines to report all pet deaths, injuries, and losses. United Airlines still hasn’t reported Sedona’s ordeal.
Sinclair believes her pets were treated worse than baggage.
"I still want to be reimbursed," Sinclair said. "But I’m not going to be quiet."
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