An Air Canada Airbus A319 at Anchorage in 2011. Photo: Chuck Slusarczyk Jr. – OPShots.net //
Air Canada is in the doghouse over a spokesman’s remarks following the disappearance of a dog who escaped airline staff at a California airport.
The company says handlers at San Francisco International Airport took the dog out of his crate on Monday after his flight was delayed and the pet either slipped out of his collar or broke it.
Air Canada says the dog — an Italian greyhound named Larry — bolted, and was last spotted about five files from the airport.
The local CBS TV station took interest in Larry’s disappearance and says it asked the airline about its procedures after obtaining a statement about the incident.
Instead, the station says it accidentally received an email from spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick urging his colleagues to ignore the inquiry — and what sounded like a jab at the U.S. government shutdown.
“I think I would just ignore, it is local news doing a story on a lost dog. Their entire government is shut down and about to default and this is how the US media spends its time,” the station said the email read.
Word quickly spread online, with many voicing their outrage over the company’s response.
“If you ever fly with your pet, you might not want to choose Air Canada,” one wrote on Twitter.
The airline addressed the controversy in a statement Friday.
