Airlines tracking pet deaths

U.S. airlines will track the number of cargo-area pet deaths and begin reporting the data to the U.S. government.

The hardest part was making Delta believe that the cat wasn't just a piece of luggage. Now airlines will have to be more careful about transporting animals and realize they are responsible for their lives and that animals need air and heat, said Sarah Stano, who settled with the airline after her 6-year-old cat either froze to death or suffocated from oxygen deprival during a cross-country flight two years ago, the Washington Times reported.

The numbers will tell, but I don't believe it's a big problem, said Air Transport Association of America spokeswoman Diana Cronan.

The government estimates 2 million pets fly in cargo areas and passenger cabins each year, but the Transportation Department received only four complaints last year of pet mistreatment by airlines.

Airlines are due to start reporting pet deaths to the department on June 15

Source: Big News Network