Dog found dead in cargo hold after 'running out of oxygen' on long haul flight

A dog died in a passenger plane’s cargo hold after being starved of oxygen on an 11-hour flight.

The animal, believed to be a husky, was found dead on-board an Air France-KLM Jetliner after landing at Los Angeles’ LAX Airport, following a non-stop flight from Amsterdam Schipol.

An Air France employee told TMZ the dog had been “incorrectly” loaded into the cargo hold and was left ‘unable to breathe’ during the 10 hour 45 minute flight.

The website told how the canine’s owner picked up the pet from Air France’s LAX-based warehouse.

TMZ said images of the dead dog were ‘too disturbing’ to publish.

According to Air France policy, passengers are allowed to keep a dog or a cat weighing no more than 17lbs in the cabin, as long as the pet is at least 10 weeks old and received all required shots.

But company rules state larger pets weighing between 17lbs and 165.3lbs are required to travel in the aeroplane’s hold.

A spokesman for Air France said of the tragedy: ‘The dog’s owner has been notified and we express our condolences. In cooperation with the local health authority in the US, the CDC, the dog was initially examined to ensure there was no immediately obvious public health threat.

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‘The dog was loaded correctly according to KLM’s pet policy.’

The airline added it is awaiting an official autopsy report to determine the cause of death.

A Peta spokesperson said: ‘Tragedies like this one are exactly why airlines must require that animals travel in the main cabin only.

‘Peta urges Air France-KLM to join airlines such as JetBlue and Southwest in prohibiting companion animals from being flown in the cargo hold, where they endure noise, extreme temperatures and sometimes inadequate pressurisation, before yet another sensitive animal suffers and dies, terrified and alone.”

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The death is the latest instance of a pet tragically passing away while aboard a commercial airliner.

In March 2018, a dog was mistakenly placed in an overhead cabin locker on a United Airlines flight

The French bulldog named Kokito died during a flight from Houston to New York and passed away from lack of oxygen.

A United Airlines spokesman said at the time: ’This was a tragic accident that should never have happened.’