Alaska Airlines passengers’ dog dies due to heat in Hawaii

Cute as they may be, French bulldogs' squashed muzzles make it hard for them to breathe. Photo / 123RF

An American family is asking for better laws around pet travel after their 4-year-old French bulldog, Frank, died beside them while waiting for their flight to depart from Hawaii.

After deciding to move back to Oregon, Gary and Angie Engelgau packed up their home in Hawaii and booked flights for themselves and their three dogs, a 15-year-old Beagle-Chihuahua mix named Fawn, Frank and his sister Charlie.

The Engelgaus and their dogs arrived at the airport at 10am and outside, the temperature was around 27C, KGW reported.

The dogs were taken through security and then placed back into their carriers, as the Engelgau’s claimed they were “not allowed to have them out of the carrier” in the airport, aside from the pet relief areas.

A Daniel K. Inouye International Airport spokesperson told KGW8 the airport would not have denied the family’s request, given the circumstances.

While waiting for the flight, the Engelgaus claim they asked the crew at the gate if they could take their dogs out of the carrier but they said no.

They were allegedly told they must keep their dogs in the carriers, despite them showing signs of overheating. So, when they took them to the pet relief area, they kept them out of the carriers for a while to cool off.

“We kept them in the shade, we gave them water to try and cool them off,” Gary said. “We gave them water. We were out there for about 40 minutes.”

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After boarding the flight, Gary said the dogs appeared too hot again, so they unzipped the carrier and flapped the safety card at them.

They then asked a flight attendant if they could take the dogs out but were denied. This is likely because Alaska Airlines’ policy states dogs must be in their carriers in the boarding areas and during taxi, takeoff and landing.

The couple instead asked for ice to give the dogs but when it arrived Frank had already stopped breathing.

“I pulled him out of the carrier, and his eyes were open. His tongue was hanging out a little bit, and he wasn’t moving or breathing,” Gary said.

Angie claimed it was clear the dogs were in distress due to the heat but they were not permitted to take the dogs out.

French bulldogs are a brachycephalic breed and tend to suffer from Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS). As a result of their shortened muzzles, noses and other genetic factors, French bulldogs have a predisposition for oxygen starvation that leads to snoring and other more serious difficulties.

The couple held their two other dogs for the remaining five and a half hours of the flight.

Following the event, Angie said they wanted to see a change in policy that was kinder to dogs.

Alaska Airlines said they were saddened by the reported loss of Frank and were aware of the event.

“Our crew members followed their processes as it relates to pets on board aircraft and took extra care of the guests for the duration of the flight,” read a statement provided to KGW.

From January 2015 to December 2020, Alaska Airlines transported more animals than any other US airline (730,000) and had an average incident rate of 0.26 per 10,000 pets transported.

Kiwi fliers can take their pets on planes but only with specific airlines.

Air New Zealand allows pets in the cargo hold. Only certified service dogs can fly in the cabin. As of May 2024, it costs a flat $120 fee to carry pets domestically.

Jetstar does not allow any pets aside from certified service dogs.