Family heartbroken after dog dies on hot airplane: 'This was 100% completely avoidable'

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When Angie and Gary Engelgau relocated from Hawaii to Oregon earlier this month, they never anticipated the tragic loss of their French Bulldog, Frank.

Frank died from overheating at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu as the family waited to board the plane.

“My first call was supposed to be to my brother to see if we could stop by the next day on our way to southern Oregon, but it was to pet cremation places,” Angie Engelgau told USA TODAY.

The family arrived at the Honolulu airport, which is indoor-outdoor, around 10 a.m. for their Alaska Airlines flight to Portland. The couple and their 18-year-old son had their three dogs – Frank, Charlie and Fawn – in tow.

According to Honolulu Airport policy , all dogs except service animals, detection dogs, or those confined for shipment or in a carrier are not allowed to be in the terminals. For potty breaks, there are several outdoor pet relief areas.

The family said they’ve flown with their pets on Alaska Airlines before – and the crew typically turned up the air conditioning on the plane. Alaska Airlines charges $100 per pet, and cats and dogs that can fit in a carrier under the seat in front of you can fly in the cabin, according to its website . Since four-year-old Frank was a brachycephalic, or short-nosed breed, and is more susceptible to overheating or respiratory distress, he was not allowed to fly in the cargo, and had to be in the cabin.

Traveling with your pet? Here's what you need to know.

“Hawaii is not a dog-friendly state, and the airport is especially not dog-friendly,” Angie Engelgau said. When the family flew from Portland International Airport and San Francisco International Airport previously, the indoor air-conditioned terminals kept the dogs cooled down.

The morning of June 30 in Hawaii was hot, and it was difficult to give the dogs some relief, Angie Engelgau said. “We broke the rules,” she said. “We kept them out of the carrier for about 45 minutes, gave them cold water and shade.”

When it was time to board, the family made their way to the gate, hoping to get on the aircraft early with the three dogs — where there was hopefully strong air conditioning. Frank was in his air carrier as the family waited at the gate, which they said was also hot.

“People were hot, imagine how hot a dog is,” Angie Engelgau said. She said she kept asking the gate agents if Frank could be taken out of the carrier, but the request was denied.

“The thing that baffles me is that it is illegal to leave your dog in a hot car, but it’s mandatory to leave them in a hot carrier,” Angie Engelgau said. “That doesn’t make sense to me.”

The family waited approximately 30 minutes to board the plane, and when they finally got on, they said it felt warm inside. At that time, Frank was panting loudly. “Everyone was wondering what that noise was,” Gary Engelgau said.

The family opened the carrier to fan Frank down and repeatedly asked the flight attendants for ice. By the time the ice came, it was too late. Frank had passed.

“This was 100% completely avoidable if Alaska had acted quicker to try to get us ice,” Gary Engelgau said. “We understand things are crazy but when you can hear an animal is in distress, you can hear him outside the plane.”

In a statement to USA TODAY, Alaska Airlines said: “We take the care of pets flying with us seriously and we’re saddened by the reported loss of this guest’s pet. Our crew members followed their processes as it relates to pets on board aircraft and took extra care of the guests for the duration of the flight.”

Frank died before the plane took off, leaving his family heartbroken, traumatized, and frustrated over the treatment that led to his death. The Engelgaus were moved to the back of the plane, where they grieved for the six-hour-long flight. “Our son was sitting a few rows behind us, he thought Frank threw up, but we’re holding our lifeless dog,” Angie Engelgau said. Two of the flight attendants also cried, she said. The Engelgau's other dogs, including Frank's sister Charlie, are dealing with the loss of their brother.

“He was so sweet and loving,” Angie Engelgau said. “We don’t want Frank to die for nothing, we want the rules changed for animals.”

Angie Engelgau said she wishes Honolulu Airport loosened their rules on pets, like allowing pets on a leash with a muzzle, or if passengers could purchase seats for their dogs. “I do understand some people don’t like dogs,” she said. “That shouldn’t mean this person doesn’t like dogs, so your dogs should risk death trying to fly.”

Is it safe to fly with your dogs?

Air travel with pets is tricky – whether the pet is in the cabin or cargo – and airlines and airports each have different pet policies. “It’s logistically challenging, and the vast majority of times animals travel very safely, and the airlines do a great job, but … the system’s not perfect,” Dr. Kenyon Conklin, a veterinarian who helps military families relocate with their pets, told USA TODAY.

The Department of Transportation Air Travel Consumer Report revealed seven animal deaths out of the 188,223 animals transported by U.S. airlines in 2022.

For breeds like Frank’s, air travel is even trickier. “What makes them very cute and very attractive also means they have a very, very difficult time with regulating their body temperature and heat,” she said. These breeds, in particular, find it challenging to tolerate hot weather and humidity.

Since people are limited in what they can bring onboard, it can be difficult to provide their pets with relief. “Getting some paws in some cool water, you can’t do because if you take your pet out or if you’re potentially unzipping a crate and reaching in for your pet, they do have the right to have you not travel in the future or even if I assume to ask you off the plane,” Dr. Conklin said. “There are just not a lot of great alternatives for those situations.”

Flying with your pet in the cargo can also be nervewracking for passengers. Airlines will often put limits on how many animals can go in the cargo or, depending on the season, if it’s too hot or cold, according to Dr. Conklin. The cargo area is also pressurized to about 8,000 feet, which can cause blood pressure changes that may not be a big deal for a young, healthy animal but could pose serious health risks for one with an undiagnosed heart issue. Pets typically need a health certificate from a licensed veterinarian to fly in the cargo.

“Just by the nature of air transport, no matter how well the airlines try to do it, there are always going to be stretches of time where these animals are unsupervised,” she said. Sometimes, owners won’t even be on the same flight with their pets due to certain limitations.

“Pets are in a compromised position, and they’re not as resilient as we are,” Dr. Conklin said. “They can’t say, “Hey, I’m having a problem.’”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Family heartbroken after dog dies on hot airplane: 'This was 100% completely avoidable'