Family devastated after dog dies from overheating on flight

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  • Frank, a four-year-old French bulldog, died of heat exhaustion at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu.
  • The family said they had flown with their pets on Alaska Airlines before, and the crew would typically turn up the air conditioning on the plane.
  • Air travel with pets is tricky, whether the pet is in the cabin or in the cargo hold. In addition, airlines and airports each have their own pet policies.

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When Angie and Gary Engelgau moved from Hawaii to Oregon earlier this month, they never expected their French Bulldog Frank to tragically pass away.

Frank died of heat exhaustion at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu while the family was waiting to board the plane.

“My first call was going to be to my brother asking if we could stop by the next day on our way to southern Oregon, but it turned out to be a pet crematory,” Angie Engelgau told USA TODAY.

The family arrived at Honolulu’s indoor-outdoor airport around 10 a.m. for their Alaska Airlines flight to Portland. The couple and their 18-year-old son had their three dogs — Frank, Charlie and Fawn — with them.

Honolulu Airport policy prohibits all dogs, except service dogs, sniffer dogs, or dogs confined for shipping or in a carrier, from entering the terminals. There are several outdoor pet areas for bathroom breaks.

The family said they had flown with their pets on Alaska Airlines before — and the crew usually turned on the plane’s air conditioning. Alaska Airlines charges $100 per pet, and cats and dogs that fit in a carrier under the seat in front of you are allowed to fly in the cabin, the website said. Because 4-year-old Frank was a brachycephalic, or short-nosed, breed, and more prone to overheating or respiratory problems, he was not allowed to fly in the cargo hold and had to remain in the cabin.

Traveling with your pet? Here’s what you need to know.

“Hawaii is not a dog-friendly state, and the airport is especially not dog-friendly,” Angie Engelgau said. When the family previously flew out of Portland International Airport and San Francisco International Airport, the indoor, air-conditioned terminals kept the dogs cool.

The morning of June 30 in Hawaii was hot and it was difficult to get the dogs some relief, Angie Engelgau said. “We broke the rules,” she said. “We kept them out of the carrier for about 45 minutes, gave them cold water and shade.”

When it was time to board, the family headed to the gate, hoping to get an early flight with the three dogs — which hopefully had strong air conditioning. Frank sat in his plane while the family waited at the gate, which they said was also warm.

“People were hot, imagine how hot a dog is,” Angie Engelgau said. She said she kept asking gate agents to let Frank out of the carrier, but the request was denied.

“What amazes me is that it’s illegal to leave your dog in a hot car, but it’s mandatory to leave them in a hot carrier,” Angie Engelgau said. “That makes no sense to me.”

The family waited about 30 minutes to board the plane, and when they finally did, they said they felt warm inside. At that point, Frank started panting loudly. “Everyone was wondering what that sound was,” Gary Engelgau said.

The family opened the carrier to cool Frank down, repeatedly asking the flight attendants for ice. By the time the ice arrived, it was too late. Frank was dead.

“This was 100 percent completely preventable if Alaska had acted faster to get us the ice,” said Gary Engelgau. “We understand it’s crazy, but when you hear an animal in distress, you can hear it outside the plane.”

In a statement to USA TODAY, Alaska Airlines said: “We take the care of pets that fly with us seriously and are saddened by the reported loss of this guest’s pet. Our crew members followed their procedures regarding pets on board aircraft and took extra care of guests throughout the flight.”

Frank died before the plane took off, leaving his family heartbroken, traumatized and frustrated over the treatment that led to his death. The Engelgaus were moved to the back of the plane, where they mourned the six-hour flight. “Our son was sitting a few rows behind us, he thought Frank had thrown up, but we’re holding our lifeless dog,” Angie Engelgau said. Two of the flight attendants were also crying, she said. The Engelgau’s other dogs, including Frank’s sister Charlie, are dealing with the loss of their brother.

“He was so sweet and loving,” Angie Engelgau said. “We don’t want Frank to die in vain, we want the rules for animals to be changed.”

Angie Engelgau said she hopes Honolulu Airport will relax its pet rules, such as allowing pets on a leash with a muzzle, or allowing passengers to purchase seats for their dogs. “I understand that some people don’t like dogs,” she said. “That shouldn’t mean that person doesn’t like dogs, so your dog has to risk dying trying to fly.”

Is it safe to fly with your dog?

Air travel with pets is tricky – whether the pet is in the cabin or in cargo – and airlines and airports each have different pet policies. “It’s logistically challenging and most of the time animals travel very safely and the airlines do a great job, but … the system is not perfect,” Dr. Kenyon Conklin, a veterinarian who helps military families relocate with their pets, told USA TODAY.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report found that seven animals died among the 188,223 animals transported by U.S. airlines in 2022.

For breeds like Frank, flying is even more difficult. “What makes them so cute and attractive also means they have a really, really hard time regulating their body temperature and heat,” she said. These breeds in particular have a hard time tolerating hot weather and humidity.

Because people are limited in what they can bring on board, it can be difficult to help their pets. “You can’t just stick your paws in some cold water because if you bring your pet or you potentially unzip a crate and grab your pet, they have the right to not let you travel in the future or even, I guess, ask you to get off the plane,” Dr. Conklin said. “There’s just not a lot of good alternatives for those situations.”

Flying with your pet in the cargo hold can also be nerve-wracking for passengers. Airlines often have limits on how many animals can fly in the cargo hold or, depending on the season, whether it’s too hot or too cold, Dr. Conklin says. The cargo hold is also pressurized to about 8,000 feet, which can cause blood pressure changes that may not be a big deal for a young, healthy animal but could pose serious health risks for an animal with an undiagnosed heart condition. Pets typically need a health certificate from a licensed veterinarian to fly in the cargo hold.

“Just because of the nature of air travel, no matter how well the airlines try to do it, there are always going to be periods of time where these animals are unattended,” she said. Sometimes owners aren’t even on the same flight with their pets because of certain restrictions.

“Pets are in a compromised position and they’re not as resilient as we are,” Dr. Conklin said. “They can’t say, ‘Hey, I have a problem.’”

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