A man has accused an airline of “killing” his beloved dog after he was put on the wrong flight.
João Fantazzini had provided the airline with a veterinary certificate stating that his golden retriever, Joca, was fit to endure the two-and-a-half-hour journey. But due to an error by the airline, his five-year-old pet took almost eight hours to travel.
Joca was supposed to be flown from Guarulhos International Airport near São Paulo, Brazil, to Sinop, but was mistakenly put on a plane bound for Fortaleza. When he landed, the airline sent him back to Guarulhos.
After landing in Sinop, João asked where he should go to pick up his dog, who was supposed to have arrived on a different flight than his, one on which pets were not allowed. He was told that João would have to fly back to Guarulhos because he had been sent to the wrong destination.
A pet owner’s heartbreaking discovery
João decided to return to Guarulhos to meet his beloved dog in person, but when he arrived, he found his pet dead inside the airline’s dog cage.
“I arrived at the airport and a woman who said she was a manager approached me. She told me that Joca had not been well. The vet had certified a two-and-a-half-hour flight, but they made it a flight of almost eight hours,” she said.
Joca had been on the flight to Fortaleza for three and a half hours. She had then spent about an hour and a half waiting on the runway for the return flight, which had lasted another three and a half hours.
According to João, Joca was locked in his cage at 36ºC while waiting for his return flight. He claims that the dog was not even fed. According to his death certificate, Joca died of cardiorespiratory arrest.
“I think what hurts me the most is knowing that he suffered there because it’s not fair that he died like that,” João told local media.
“Sometimes I feel like I was selfish. I could have left him here in São Paulo, but it was always me and him, always. Whenever I left my apartment, he would wait for me all day in front of the door. He was like a son to me.”
Airline responds after ‘operational error’
Gol airline said in a statement that Joca was put on the flight to Fortaleza “due to an operational error.”
“Unfortunately, just after the flight landed at Guarulhos Airport from Fortaleza, we were surprised by the death of the animal,” a spokesperson added. “The company is providing all necessary support to the owner and our team is carrying out the investigation of the details of the incident with the utmost priority.
“We sympathize with the suffering of Joca’s owner. We understand his pain and deeply regret the loss of his beloved pet.”
– Jam press
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