After the tragic death of a French bulldog on one of its flights earlier this year, United Airlines has updated its policy on what dog breeds it will accept on its aircraft.
It just announced 21 dog breeds will be banned from flying on its airlines, citing that they are more likely to experience physical ailments from the heat or travel-induced stress.
Related: The Pet Polices of Top Airlines You Need to Know About
The move comes after the enormous backlash United Airlines received when a flight attendant reportedly told a customer she must put her French bulldog in the overhead compartment during a flight. The dog, named Kokito, died as a result.
Image Credit: Instagram/kokito_the_savage
The airline took responsibility for the death, issuing this statement at the time. “This was a tragic accident that should never have occurred, as pets should never be placed in the overhead bin,” the statement reads. “We assume full responsibility for this tragedy and express our deepest condolences to the family and are committed to supporting them.”
Related: What Owners Need to Do to Keep Their Dog Safe While Flying on an Airplane
Since then, United Airlines has been working with animal-welfare organization American Humane to improve its pet policies. The airline will resume transporting animals on July 9, but the below breeds (some were already banned) will not be allowed on its flights. (There were also four cat breeds — Burmese, exotic shorthair, Himalayan, and Persian — prohibited.)
- Affenpinscher
- American Bully
- American Pit Bull Terrier/Pit Bull
- American Staffordshire Terrier/”Amstaff”
- Belgian Malinois
- Boston Terrier
- Boxer
- Brussels Griffon
- Bulldog
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Chow Chow
- English Toy Spaniel/Prince Charles Spaniel
- Japanese Chin/Japanese Spaniel
- Lhasa Apso
- Mastiff
- Pekingese
- Pug
- Shar-Pei/Chinese Shar-Pei
- Shih-Tzu
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier/”Staffys”
- Tibetan Spaniel
