by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:10 AM ET, Wed March 14, 2018
United Airlines is facing backlash once again after a dog died due to a flight attendant forcing a passenger to put the animal in an overhead bin.
According to The Associated Press, the United flight was traveling from Houston to New York Monday night when a crew member informed the dog's owner the pet would have to be placed inside the overhead storage compartment.
Passengers on the flight heard barking during the flight, but the dog was discovered dead when the plane landed at LaGuardia Airport in New York City.
On Tuesday, United took responsibility for the incident and admitted the pet should have never been put inside the overhead bin. The airline has also launched an investigation into the incident and the attendant who made the passenger stow the dog.
"This was a tragic accident that should never have occurred, as pets should never be placed in the overhead bin," United told The AP. "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 United States Department of Transportation requires all airlines to report any incidents involving the loss, injury or death of animals during air transportation. In 2017, 24 total incidents involving pets were reported, and 18 of those were related to United flights.
United reported that many of the animals injured during transportation did it to themselves clawing at the inside of their shipping containers and many of the deaths were attributed to natural causes by doctors.
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