Staff at a major airport were shocked when they discovered a dog had chewed a massive hole in its crate during a flight.
The pup was flying in the hold from Turkey to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and the damage to the crate was discovered when handlers were unloading the plane, as shown in a viral video shared by Dutch dog handler Bob Doornheim on Instagram that has been viewed over 487,000 times.
The video shows the dog’s head peeping out of the hole in the crate after the flight, followed by some time spent on the tarmac being petted and calmed down by handlers.
“The owner was emotional and shocked, but also very grateful for our assistance in ensuring her dog was safe,” Doornheim told Newsweek. “Given our experience with dogs, we know what to do in these situations to minimize stress for the animal. When we arrived, we instructed the airline handler to remove the dog from the carrier as quickly as possible.”
@marechaussee_k9/Instagram
“We moved the dog to a shaded area, fitted it with a temporary collar to prevent it from running onto the runway, and my colleague brought water to help calm the dog down,” he continued. “During our efforts to relax the animal, we noticed that it had lost some teeth and appeared to be older.
“We quickly contacted the owner and had our colleagues from the Koninklijke Marechaussee reunite them. It’s crucial for dogs that exhibit such behavior to be reunited with their owners promptly, as they often experience significant stress, which can be life-threatening.”
Before getting back with its owner, the dog became calm in the company of the handlers, Doornheim said.
“We often see these situations with plastic dog carriers,” he explained. “When a dog becomes stressed and tries to escape, some dogs will exert so much effort to get out that they start chewing and digging wherever possible. Just because a dog is accustomed to a carrier does not guarantee that it will be fine in an airplane.
“An aircraft is a completely different environment with many new sounds, smells, and movements during takeoff, turbulence, and landing. Given our experience with these situations, we find that plastic dog carriers are less suitable. We therefore recommend using a metal dog carrier that is more robust and escape-proof.”
Air travel with dogs is a popular choice for many pet owners. A report by the American Pet Products Association, showed 68% of Americans who traveled with their dogs went by plane.
The American Kennel Club advises that dog owners provide their pets with “puzzle-type” toys for plane journeys to reduce boredom. They should also bring enough food and bottled water.
The comments of the video shared by Doornheim were full of people sharing their thoughts. Translated to English, many expressed concern for the animal.
“Poor thing,” wrote @blanmica while @ons_stulpje said: “People just don’t fly with a dog.”
“We never fly with our dog, never alone in a box,” said @ konraddoepfner.
@ andreasdji commented: “I’d rather drive 20 hours.”
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