May 2 (UPI) — United Airlines announced Tuesday the company is resuming reservations for pets in its planes’ cargo holds after partnering with an animal welfare organization.
The airline stopped allowing passengers to transport animals in the cargo holds of its aircrafts in March after it mistakenly sent a German Shepherd bound for Kansas to Japan and a Great Dane that was supposed to go to Japan wound up in Kansas. United also came under scrutiny that same month when a French Bulldog placed in the overhead bin on one plane died.
United said it is resuming reservations later this summer after working with American Humane to improve conditions for pet travel. The airline said it is reviewing policies and updating training “to improve the safety of the pet travel experience.”
“Transporting pets introduces a variety of risks and when United approached us, we knew we had to take on the challenge of helping improve and ensure the health, safety and comfort of so many animals,” said Dr. Robin Ganzert, American Humane’s president and chief executive officer. “United serves thousands of customers and their pets each day, and we saw it as our duty to come in as an independent, third party to help evaluate and further improve their PetSafe program and the in-cabin experience to ensure it offers one of the best in the industry.”
