Does Michael Contillo French bulldog owner have a case against Alaska Airlines? San Francisco dog owner sues plane carrier after forced to move from first class to economy only for his canine to be found dead when the plane landed 6 hours later…
Social media has been left divided following a report of a French bulldog’s death during an Alaska Airlines flight earlier this year after the canine and its owner were made to give up their first class seats for ‘safety reasons,’ only for the animal to end up dead six hours later when the plane landed in San Francisco and the dog owner now filing a lawsuit against the plane carrier.
In his suit, Michael Contillo, filed last week, the dog owner claims, his pooch, named Ash suddenly passed away on the Alaska Airlines flight from New York to San Francisco on Feb. 1.
Is Alaska Airlines to blame for French bulldog dying?
The alleged ordeal unfolded after Contillo and his father, who both purchased first-class tickets, boarded the flight at JFK and took their fourth-row seats with Ash and his other French bulldog, named Kora, in their pet carriers.
Yet just before take-off, Contillo claims airline staff approached and asked them all to move back to row 11 for ‘safety purposes,’ the suit filed in San Francisco County Superior Court states.
‘Plaintiff explained that moving the dogs at this point before takeoff would be extremely dangerous for the dogs. He further explained that the dog was calm at the moment but would not be calm anymore now that the plane was full of people,’ the filing alleges.
At issue is the fact that French bulldogs have a potential susceptibility to breathing issues (aka Brachycephalic Airway Obstruction Syndrome) should the animal get disoriented and or excited and potential harm, which is why according to Contillo he had specifically booked the first class tickets.
‘To move the dogs now would make them very anxious and excited, which would lead to extremely dangerous breathing and heart problems. This change could be lethal for a dog, especially right before you change altitudes,’ the suit alleges.
Contillo claims the crew ignored their pleas and nevertheless forced them to move back to coach.
Does risk and responsibility ultimately rest on dog owner?
‘At this time, Ash immediately started breathing very quickly and heavily, with noticeable anxiety,’ the suit claims.
Contillo in his suit alleged he noticed Ash had ‘stopped moving’ but flight attendants told him to close the pet carrier for takeoff — meaning he couldn’t check on the cream-colored canine until later.
‘By the time the Plaintiff and his father deboarded the plane at the San Francisco International Airport, Ash’s body was entirely in rigor mortis,’ the lawsuit states, adding that it usually doesn’t set in for dogs until about four hours after death.
‘The Plaintiff and his father confirmed that Ash was indeed dead and immediately started to weep,’ the filing continued.
Adding, ‘The entire flight crew, including the pilot, deboarded the plane and showed no sympathy for the Plaintiff’s dog’s loss. No one stopped to show concern, offer condolences, or show the slightest bit of compassion.’
Contillo claims that prior to the flight, the dog was ‘very healthy and active’ with ‘no history of illness or surgeries,’ the filing states.
Months earlier, Contillo said he had flown with Ash to NYC from San Francisco with zero issues.
‘The Plaintiff and his father flew in the first-class cabin without issues, and both French Bulldogs safely arrived in New York. For those couple of months in New York, they remained healthy and active throughout their stay,’ the suit states.
Before flying back on the ill-fated flight, Contillo said both French Bulldogs were examined by a vet in New York to make sure they were healthy enough for the cross-country trip.
‘The Vet confirmed that both dogs were healthy and would be safe to take a cross-country flight,’ the court papers allege.
Contillo is suing the airline for breach of contract by not honoring their first-class tickets, as well as negligence and emotional distress.
Which is to wonder should Contillo ever taking the susceptible dog on board in the first place, knowing the potential risks given the dog’s particular breed? Would it have mattered given the dog’s stasis and underlying health whether it sat in first class or economy ( after all turbulence and decompression affects the whole plane not just economy class). And could Alaska Airlines made a better effort to addressing the ticket holders’ concerns, especially since they bought first class tickets in good faith?
Social media left divided
And then there were these comments on the web that caught this author’s attention, see what you think?
‘At first I want to understand why the dogs are so anxious and if they are so anxious maybe not traveling is key but what is the point of purchasing a 1st class ticket if the airline can just take it away? If there is a safety reason, why wasn’t it addressed before the purchase of the ticket by the airline. I do see a question when I check-in asking if I am traveling with an infant so if having crates in 1st class is a safety concern why not ask during the purchase of the ticket?’
‘If they were in carriers, how could there be a safety reason and how could it be reduced by putting them in crowded coach? I hope he wins big in this suit.’
‘Being forced to move (regardless of where) right b4 takeoff can be dangerous for dogs. They’ll get anxious/stressed, heart rate will increase, their breathing will get faster, etc. — all of which puts them at risk immediately before the altitude change. Owner seems to have even warned them that the move was dangerous. I’d sue too to hold Alaska responsible.’
‘Since Mr. Contillo paid an extra $100 per dog to be in the cabin, the airline knew they were there and, if there were safety concerns, should have addressed them at the time the “dog” tickets were purchased.’
‘The dog most likely would not know if he was in first class or coach. I suspect there were underlying health issues to begin with. I feel bad for their loss but not sure the aiirline was at fault.’
‘If you pay for a seat I’m not sure why they can ask you to downgrade. But I also have to question why fly your fragile dogs across the country and back.’
‘The air is the same in economy as it is in first class and the size of the carrier didn’t change either. While it is a tragedy the dog dies there’s obviously way more to this story that what is being reported here.’
‘Unfortunately this is why a lot of airlines don’t allow pets. It’s not the flight attendants job to know dog breeds.’
‘If the dog cannot survive the move from a crate in first class to a crate in economy, I fear it might have other health issues.’
