A Greek airline is facing international backlash after losing a one-eyed kitten that was in transit from Crete to Germany.
Rodri was on her way to Munich for an operation to save her good eye but when the plane landed in Athens for a layover, Rodri was nowhere to be seen.
This was despite the fact she received a notification from the Chania ground crew that the cat, along with two other felines, had been safely placed in the hold.
But when it came time to collect her pet cat, authorities found the crate was damaged with no Rodri inside. They admitted they have no idea what happened or where her treasured fur baby is.
It has now been five days since her disappearance and her owner has taken to social media, furious over the airline’s response to the incident.
“None of the staff involved supported me, there was no empathy,” owner Mary Gomes wrote.
“There was no information and I had to travel on without knowing what had happened to my kitten, who is blind in one eye and could see very little in the other.
“We didn’t rescue her out of the rubbish, out of a miserable life on the streets, to lose her.
“I DEMAND Rodri back. I need to see her.
Following the backlash, the airline took to social media saying they’re “deeply concerned” about Rodri’s disappearance.
“From the moment we realised that Rodri was missing, we swiftly launched extensive efforts, coordinating with airport authorities and deploying our dedicated airport personnel in search of the kitten,” the statement read.
“We are fully committed to persisting in our search efforts.
“The safety and wellbeing of all animals travelling with us are of utmost importance, and we are thoroughly investigating how Rodri’s carrier was damaged to prevent such incidents in the future.”
Aegean also added that a social media post only offering €100 as compensation wasn’t from the official account of the airline, calling it a “fake account”.
Despite the airline’s response, readers were still furious.
“You LOST A CAT?!?!?! How the hell did you manage to even do this,” one person wrote.
“Prove that you followed the handling process properly!” another said.
A third added: “What a horrible nightmare! Your staff were negligent and now a poor blind kitten is missing and suffering.”