Animal rights activists gathered at La Guardia on Sunday in order to express their concerns over animal safety in airports.
The protesters had a message — “Justice for Kokito” — referring to the French Bulldog puppy that died on a United Airlines flight last week.
The death occurred after the passenger was told by a flight attendant to put the pup (in his carrier) in the overhead bin, where he likely suffocated. United Airlines defended the flight attendant by saying she either didn’t hear or understand the passenger telling her there was a dog in the carry-on.
Now, animal lovers are calling for change.
Senator Marisol Alcantara (D-Manhattan) spoke at the rally with a special announcement. NBC New York reported:
“Alcantara also unveiled new legislation to create a pet passenger bill of rights. It would explicitly ban placing pets in overhead bins and ensure reasonable access to food and water, among other measures.”
In addition, United Airlines says they’ll start marking carriers containing animals with bright colored tags so they’re easily identifiable.
If you’re tired of hearing about preventable animal-related deaths on planes, sign this petition to show the airlines that they MUST have better protocols in place to ensure the health and safety of our pets.
