Transporting Pets by Airplane Is Proving Hazardous to Their Health : Airlines: A record number of animals died last year as a result of improper care when flying. Kennels are often not large enough and outside air temperatures too hot.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1990 was the worst year on record for animals traveling on airplanes within the United States. The agency estimates that 71 animals died in aircraft baggage compartments last year, mainly from suffocation or heatstroke.

And, according to the U.S. Humane Society, dozens of other animals were crushed on airport conveyor belts and injured or killed in airport ramp baggage accidents. Or the animals later died from the effects of their air journey.

Exact figures regarding animal deaths are difficult to come by because there are no current regulations requiring airlines to report animal deaths. (The 71 deaths that the USDA reported are a result of passenger complaints to the agency.)

Also, passengers don’t always report injuries and deaths. Although most pets do travel safely and arrive on time, airline personnel, humane society officials and veterinarians generally agree that the potential for serious--and sometimes fatal--mishandling is too high for real consumer comfort.

The most common problems seem to be pressure extremes, which contribute directly to animal deaths in the air, and temperature extremes, which kill animals in the air and on the ground. Animals often get ignored by airline personnel and baggage handlers, especially at large hub airports where many passengers--and pets--have to make connecting flights. Other causes of pet trauma are faulty luggage handling (dropped kennels) and dehydration (pets not being given water for long periods of time).

Airlines are governed by certain rules regarding the transportation of pets. Officially, dogs, cats and other warmblooded animals are protected by the federal Animal Welfare Act whenever they are shipped by air. And pet transport is under the jurisdiction of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

According to the USDA, virtually every major airline has been cited and fined repeatedly for mishandling animals. Within the past year, according to USDA reports, a cat was run over by a baggage truck at LAX, four German shepherds died on a flight to Texas after a 40-minute delay on the ground (the temperature was 93 degrees), and another dog died when its kennel was mistakenly placed too close to a jet engine during baggage loading (the cage melted).

Last year, United Airlines was assessed a $7,500 civil penalty for numerous violations in transporting dogs between Tampa, Fla., and Portland, Ore. Northwest was hit with a $1,500 fine after the USDA charged the airline with accepting and transporting 12 dogs in six shipping containers that were too small for the animals. And Delta agreed to a cease-and-desist order and a $10,000 civil penalty to settle multiple charges of violating federal transportation standards. The USDA charged Delta with transporting--on 16 occasions between 1987 and 1988--animals in cages that did not conform to size or labeling requirements, and for failing to provide the animals with appropriate food and water.

Under current rules, dogs and cats that are at least eight weeks old may fly on U.S. airlines in three ways: 1) as excess baggage in the cargo compartment of a flight when their owners are aboard; 2) as air freight, also in the cargo compartment, when their owners aren’t on the flight, and 3) in certain cases, in the passenger cabin of the plane. FAA regulations allow for one pet per cabin if the pet is small enough to fit--with its container--under the seat in front of its owner.

A few cautions about pets in passenger cabins: Some airlines interpret the rule to mean one animal per plane. Others will allow up to three animals per plane--one each in the first-class, business class and coach cabins. You must reserve in advance. And, even if your pet is approved to fly with you in the cabin, this does not necessarily mean that you will be allowed to take it out during the flight. Most airlines forbid this, although some flight attendants will permit it.

If you have no choice but to put your pet in the cargo hold when you fly, what protection do you have that your dog or cat will arrive in good shape--and at the same time you do?

Remember, the safe and healthy transportation of pets is not just the airline’s responsibility--it’s yours.

Make sure the kennel you buy is big enough for your pet to freely stand, turn around and lie down. The kennel must also close securely. Be sure to display a “LIVE ANIMAL” label with large letters on the outside of the kennel. Include an empty water dish and specify any individual feeding instructions. Get to the airport early enough to make sure there’s enough time to properly handle your pet. And finally, if possible, try to select a flight time when the outside air temperatures will not be unbearable for your pet. If it’s a very hot summer day, you might want to reconsider taking your pet. Then, once you and your pet have checked in for your flight (airlines charge an average additional fee of $50 each way for each kennel within the United States), never take yes for an answer. When traveling with your pet, assumption is the mother of disaster.

“You should physically see your pet board the aircraft,” says Kurt Lapham, an investigator for the U.S. Humane Society. “Too frequently they get left behind. I have seen pets arrive dead because the airline improperly loaded the animal, or in many cases never loaded the pet at all.”

If you can’t witness your pet’s boarding, then always ask for confirmation that your pet has been boarded on your flight. Many gate agents will not be pleased with such requests, but be persistent. Try not to book your pet on a routing that includes connecting flights, but if you must, then find a gate agent or airline service representative as soon as you land and explain your concern that your pet is being properly cared for during the layover period.

And again, ask him or her to check to see that the pet has been properly off-loaded and is waiting in an area that will not be too hot or cold. You can’t always expect cooperation from the airline representatives, who are usually overworked and may seem more concerned with making sure that passengers rather than petsmake their connections. But not always. Remember, many airline staffers are pet owners themselves and understand all too well your anxiety. Recently, a passenger flying between St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Dover, New Hampshire, arrived on his Continental Airlines flight only to discover that his dog didn’t make the flight. It seems that baggage handlers had forgotten the dog at the St. Croix airport. Regine Baldwin, Continental’s station manager in St. Croix, called the man to let him know that all was well. She then took the dog home with her, walked him, fed him and put the animal on the Continental flight to the United States the next morning. Three cheers for Ms. Baldwin.

And major kudos also go to a woman named Bea Fetler, a ticket agent at Northwest Airlines in Minneapolis. Fetler has led an employee-driven effort to get Northwest to recognize the problems of transporting pets, and is trying to do something about it.

Fetler, who is now project manager of a new Northwest program called Priority Pet, proposed the idea a few months ago and senior airline management agreed to the program. “There is major trepidation among our customers when it comes to traveling with their pets,” Fetler said. “And we acknowledge that air travel for animals is not as safe as it could be.”

Northwest now has teams of animal care coordinators at each of its destination cities. Depending on the size of the airport, the teams range from two to 20 people--regular Northwest employees (ground service personnel) trained in correct animal care and transportation procedures. According to Fetler, “Our biggest concern is the amount of time spent by an animal at the ramp waiting for transfer to aircraft.”

Now, Northwest will not transport any animal if the outside temperature is higher than 85 degrees. Under terms of the program, which begins Aug. 15, passengers traveling with their pets will receive a customer notification tag telling them that their pet has been boarded safely on their flight. Aircraft baggage compartments that are not pressurized will now be labeled “No Live Animals.” Kennels will be strapped down in cargo holds to prevent injury or death during takeoff and landing when kennels could easily tip over or become airborne within the cargo compartments. With luck, the Priority Pet program will be a success and, as has happened with air-fare competition, other airlines will soon try to match Northwest.

For pet owners interested in obtaining a booklet detailing guidelines for flying with pets, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, 6505 Belcrest Road, Hyattsville, Md. 20782. Or call (301) 436-7799.