Dog dies in overhead bin aboard United Airlines flight

A dog died aboard a United Airlines flight this week after spending the duration of the trip in an overhead compartment.

A social media user posted to Twitter about the incident early Tuesday morning, blaming the dog’s death on an airline flight attendant.

“I want to help this woman and her daughter. They lost their dog because of an @united flight attendant. My heart is broken,” Maggie Gremminger wrote on Twitter. 

I want to help this woman and her daughter. They lost their dog because of an @united flight attendant. My heart is broken. pic.twitter.com/mjXYAhxsAq

— MaggieGremminger (@MaggieGrem) March 13, 2018

June Lara, a passenger aboard flight UA1284, wrote on Facebook that the flight attendant “insisted” the dog be placed in the overhead bin.

{mosads}

“They assured the safety of the family’s pet so wearily, the mother agreed,” Lara wrote. 

“There was no sound as we landed and opened his kennel. There was no movement as his family called his name. I held her baby as the mother attempted to resuscitate their 10 month old puppy.”

Lara said passengers could hear the dog’s “cries” throughout the flight.

United Airlines confirmed the incident, which was first reported by The Points Guy, in an email to The Hill. 

“This was a tragic accident that should never have occurred, as pets should never be placed in the overhead bin,” Maggie Schmerin, a spokeswoman for United Airlines, said in a statement. 

“We assume full responsibility for this tragedy and express our deepest condolences to the family and are committed to supporting them. We are thoroughly investigating what occurred to prevent this from ever happening again.”

The dog’s death comes nearly one year after United became embroiled in a public relations crisis due to a viral video that showed a passenger being forcibly dragged off of one of its flights.

Lawmakers threatened legislative action in response to that video and called for additional consumer protections.