Cargo Could Be Dangerous for Some Pets

Holiday air travelers who plan to bring their pets with them on a flight need to be especially careful if their pet is a Persian cat or short-nosed dog such as a bulldog or pug.

Reports of pet deaths during flight by the Department of Transportation – who put out the report each month – have people wondering about the number of unexplained deaths with short-nosed, or brachycephalic, breeds that had no problems prior to take off.

It’s speculated that these particular breeds have a harder time breathing in the first place, and the combination of this and the atmosphere in an airplane cargo hold can spell trouble. Some airlines already refuse to allow these breeds to fly with them during the warm summer months.

The article does point out that there’s no way of knowing how many short-nosed pets have been transported safely, and there’s no hard evidence or active investigation either.

What do you think?

[image: flickr]