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More dogs die on United than on any other airline. Here’s why.

By Martine Powers April 4

It was a horrific incident that grabbed headlines and incited the ire of dog lovers around the world. A 10-month-old French bulldog died on a United Airlines flight after his carrier was placed inside a cabin overhead compartment at the direction of a flight attendant.

And in the aftermath, animal advocates and concerned lawmakers glommed on to a shocking piece of data.

Of the 506,994 animals that flew on U.S. commercial air carriers last year, 24 died in transit. And 18 of those deaths — 75 percent — occurred on United Airlines.

Tom Eggert@madisonthom

Turns out that not only does #United kill puppies because of poorly educated stewardesses, but 18 of the 24 dogs that died on planes last year were on United planes. If you are a dog lover, avoid #United.

3:10 PM - Mar 14, 2018

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For context, United transports more animals in the United States than any other airline: Last year, the airline transported about 27 percent of all animals flown as air cargo. Even so, people saw these disproportionately high numbers from 2017 as evidence that United has a history of mistreating animals, and that the airline is inherently less safe for transporting animals than any other major U.S. carrier.

And United’s steep numbers aren’t new. Going back further, United also reported the highest numbers of animal deaths in 2015 and 2016, especially when compared with other major U.S. carriers such as Delta and American. (Spirit, Southwest, JetBlue and Virgin America do not transport animals on their planes as cargo, though some small pets are allowed as carry-ons.)

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Family reunited with dog that was mistakenly flown to Japan

[ When flying with your pet, going the proper route can come with a steep cost ]

Hobart said the company has instituted new procedures to ensure that animals are loaded onto the correct airplane and that animals are not accidentally left behind or sent to the wrong destination.