Puppy death in-flight: Senators seek to bar animal endangerment

Two US senators yesterday unveiled legislation to explicitly bar airlines from putting animals in danger by placing them in overhead baggage compartments, after the recent death of a puppy on board a passenger aircraft.

Senators John Kennedy, a Republican, and Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democrat, said the legislation would direct the Federal Aviation Administration to create regulations to prohibit the storing of a live animal in any overhead compartment and to impose civil fines for violations.

The Bill was prompted after a puppy died during a flight earlier in the week, after a United Airlines cabin attendant ordered that it be stowed in an overhead bin.

The incident spurred an apology from the airline, which said it would assume full responsibility.