From More Pets Died on Delta

"More pets died on Delta flights last year than on any other airline, a government report reveals. But a closer look at the records shows that the pets' owners may have been as much to blame as the airline.

Delta representatives denied that the pets had been mishandled, and detailed accounts of each incident seem to confirm that. Several of the pets had medical problems that were disclosed during check-in; other pets were found to have congenital defects, and a few had to be euthanized after self-inflicted injuries in their carriers. Age may have been a factor in some of the deaths, such as those of 17-year-old and 14-year-old cats, and the length of the trips may also have been an issue (13 out of the 19 deaths were on overseas flights). One dog, a mini pincher, died without even making it onto the plane -- handlers refused to load him because he was having trouble breathing. Three of the victims were English or French bulldogs, which Delta usually refuses to transport because of the snub-nosed breeds' respiratory problems.

According to Delta's guidelines, the airline "does not accept animals which exhibit signs of injury, distress, or are demonstrating efforts to escape and that Delta reserves the right to refuse pets as checked baggage if the health of the animal is in question and/or if the animal's health may be jeopardized by the extreme conditions." But a few of the pets that died were over the allowable weight limit, had been sedated, or had recent and obvious injuries, yet had been accepted for transport anyway. Delta also does not allow pets checked as baggage from May 15 through September 15, in order to avoid exposing them to extreme heat in the cargo hold, but eight of the 19 deaths occurred during that time frame last year.

Delta is not the only airline having a problem transporting pets. Last year, five pets died on American Airlines, four on Alaska Airlines, three on continental, and two each on Hawaiian Airlines and United Airlines, according to the report. In 2010, seven out of 14 puppies died on an American Airlines flight from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Chicago after it was delayed in hot weather. "