Passenger Says Southwest Airlines Is Responsible For The Death Of Her Support Dog During Flight

A passenger has blamed Southwest Airlines for support dog's in-flight death because she said a flight attendant prevented her from opening the dog's carrier and threatened to turn the plane around.

The grieving healthcare worker identified only as Courtney, told TMZ that her 3-year-old French bulldog Charlie wasn’t able to breathe in his carrier during a flight to Pennsylvania last month.

Courtney — an X-ray technician who traveled around the country to help COVID patients with the support of the dog — told the outlet that Charlie started having trouble during the second leg of their Dec. 21 trip. When she tried to open his carrier, a flight attendant refused to allow it and threatened to turn the plane around, she reportedly claimed.

Courtney believes that the dog suffered heatstroke and a seizure during the flight and alleged that Southwest staff “let him die,” TMZ said. A necropsy has not been done on the pooch, the outlet said.

Charlie’s distraught owner is now planning to sue the airline over the loss of her dog and for her pain and suffering, TMZ said. Courtney also wants the flight attendant who allegedly refused to help her fired, the article said. Southwest only offered to refund her tickets after the flight, according to the report.

The airline issued a statement to the outlet saying it is “disheartened” to learn about the passing of this Customer’s pet.

“Tens of thousands of Customers travel with cats and dogs every month on Southwest. While onboard the aircraft, pets must remain in their well-ventilated carriers at all times for the comfort and safety of fellow Customers,” Southwest said