Airlines must report animal deaths

WASHINGTON — Plenty of vacation guides list camps that allow dogs or rank pet-friendly hotels, but until now there's been no way to know which airlines are safest for four-legged travelers.

That's about to change. Starting June 15, airlines must report how many pets are killed, lost or injured on their flights.

The government estimates 2 million animals fly commercially every year. Many airlines allow small pets to travel in portable kennels under seats, where the owners are responsible for their safety. Larger pets travel in cargo holds, where they can be exposed to extreme heat or cold and loud noises from plane engines.

Nobody knows how many pets are killed or injured. Lisa Weisberg, spokeswoman for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, suggested 1 percent, which would mean 20,000 animals per year. The airlines say that's far too high.

But no one disputes that accidents do happen.

When Sarah Stano's husband was transferred from Portland, Ore., to Greensboro, N.C., she chose Delta Airlines to fly them there because it was the only carrier that would let her carry her three cats in the cabin.

But at the airport she discovered one of the containers was too big to fit under the seat. Hereford, a fluffy white cat with black spots, had to go in the cargo hold.

"I'll never forget the look he gave me when they took him away," Stano said.

When Stano and her two children arrived late at night in Greensboro, they found out Hereford had died from either cold or lack of cabin pressure. "We were really kind of devastated about the whole thing," Stano said.

Stano sued Delta and reached an undisclosed settlement.

Delta spokeswoman Benet Wilson said the airline does its best to accommodate pets but doesn't comment on individual cases.