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.
Bob Doornheim is a dog handler with Persvoorlichter Koninklijke Marechaussee, the company responsible for handling dogs coming into Schipol Airport. He shared viral video on Instagram, which 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."
A dog chewed through its crate during a flight from Turkey to the Netherlands. A viral video shows the damage the dog did to the crate and its teeth when it was in the cargo...A dog chewed through its crate during a flight from Turkey to the Netherlands. A viral video shows the damage the dog did to the crate and its teeth when it was in the cargo hold. @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."
Newsweek spoke to Schipol airport who directed us to Corendon Airlines. Newsweek has repeatedly reached out to Corendon Airlines with no response.
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.
Screengrabs of canine in transport. The dog flew the hold of an aircraft in a plastic cage, which it was able to chew through. Screengrabs of canine in transport. The dog flew the hold of an aircraft in a plastic cage, which it was able to chew through. @marechaussee_k9"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."
Corendon Airlines, a company that operates out of Turkey and was the carrier of the pet in the viral video, explains on its website the conditions of carriage for pets. The cost to fly an animal middle distance is €75 (around $81 USD), and long distance is €85 (around $92 USD). The airline allows a maximum of four pets in total in the cabin.
It only allows cats and dogs on its planes, with small breeds allowed with the owner in the cabin. The airline says pets need to travel in "waterproof lockable cages," and those weighing over 8 kilograms (around 17.5 pounds) need to go in the ventilated hold.
However at least 12 dog breeds are not allowed to travel with the airline including American Pitbull, American Bulldog and the American Staffordshire Terrier.
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."
Has a dream vacation turned into a nightmare? Whether it's a missed flight or lost luggage, we want to hear about your travel disasters. Let us know via life@newsweek.com, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.Update 10/18/24, 11:30 a.m. ET: This article was updated to clarify who Newsweek contacted for comment, Doornheim's position and Corendon's conditions of carriage.
