‘Horror’ of couple whose dog was accidentally flown to Saudi instead of US, leaving it traumatised
- Five-year-old Bluebell took three long-haul flights and spent 60 hours in cargo
- Owners say she has been left traumatised and is working with a US$3,000 behaviourist
British Airways accidentally flew a pet dog to Saudi Arabia instead of America when she was placed on the wrong flight, leaving her in cargo for 60 hours and suffering from long-lasting trauma, a report says.
Madison and James Miller were separated from their pet dog Bluebell for days after she failed to get placed on their flight from London Heathrow airport to Nashville, Tennessee on December 1, Britain’s Daily Mirror reported. Bluebell was instead placed by IAG Cargo – BA’s luggage handlers under the same owner – on a flight to Saudi Arabia, 7,000 miles from her intended location.
Madison and James spent hours trying to track her down, eventually discovering she was in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. Madison said the couple had to asks for signs of life when she was first located.
The five-year-old dog was sent back to Heathrow, before being flown onto Nashville.
“It was hell on earth”, Madison said. “She’s family. The absolute horror that I felt, I can’t put it into words. I was so worried she was going to die in transit or I’d never be able to find her again”.
Since her return, James said Bluebell had been left traumatised by the incident, and has caused thousands of dollars’ worth of damage to their home since. “We simply cannot leave her alone,” he said.
“We did everything right moving Bluebell to America with us, and it’s been an absolute nightmare. The first time we tried to leave her at home alone after the ordeal she ripped through her kennel in the first 10 minutes.
