Here’s how to travel safely with a dog on a plane

How can you travel safely with a dog? That’s what people are asking after two terrible accidents on United Airlines flights. Luckily, there are some tips.

This has been a bad week for United Airlines.

First, there was the horrible death of a 10-month-old French Bulldog puppy that went viral. A United flight attendant forced a woman and her daughter to put the puppy, who was in a TSA-approved crate, into the overhead bin during a flight from Houston to New York.

According to CBS News, the woman, Catalina Robledo, says she begged the flight attendant not to make her put her dog in the overhead bin, but the flight attendant still made her do it.

They later found out the dog had died when they landed. Robledo tried to resuscitate the puppy, but it was too late.

That wasn’t even the only mistake United made this week; luckily, this one wasn’t as deadly. According to The Washington Post, a German Shepherd was sent to Japan instead of Kansas during an airport mix-up.

A family that was moving to Wichita, Kansas, paid to ship their dog Irgo as cargo on a United Airlines flight. But rather than seeing Irgo, they found a Great Dane waiting for them. Luckily, it all worked out. The two dogs were mixed up during a connection in Denver, but now they’re safe as United has corrected the mishap.

These occurrences aren’t just some fluke. According to NY Daily News, more animals have died on United flights than any other airline in the last three years. In 2017 alone, 18 animals died on a United flight — which is three times as many as the other airlines combined.

This all sounds terrifying. But sometimes you just have to take your pet on a plane.

So the question is: How do you travel with your pet safely?

The first thing you have to do is get your pet approved to fly by a vet. The best option, as recommended by Condé Nast Traveler, is to fly with your pet as a carry-on rather than cargo if it’s allowed.

However, only animals that are small enough to fit under the seat and are in a TSA-approved kennel are allowed on as carry-ons. The animals have to stay in their carriers so that they are able to stand up and turn around comfortably in the crate.

If your pet is flying as cargo, Smithsonian magazine recommends you make sure to remind the staff that there’s an animal on the flight. Ask them to make sure your pet is somewhere with good ventilation and has plenty of water.

In general, don’t fly with pets if it’s too cold or hot. Don’t fly with older or sicker pets, pets that are too young, or animals with pushed-in faces. Lastly, try to book a nonstop flight when possible.

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These accidents are totally horrifying, but there are ways to prevent this so your travel plans go as smooth as possible for you and your four-legged friend. Safe flying!