Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Buster the bulldog died on flight home from Cyprus after airline caused him 'unnecessary suffering'

  • Pet's container was too small and likely to have caused him stress, court is told
  • Thomas Cook Airlines found guilty and fined £6,500

An airline has been found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to an English bulldog which died on a flight back to the UK from Cyprus.

Buster, who belonged to a member of the armed forces returning home from Cyprus, was found dead at Gatwick airport after the Thomas Cook Airlines flight.

The airline was found guilty at Mid Sussex Magistrates' Court in Haywards Heath of causing unnecessary suffering.

West Sussex County Council said its trading standards officers went to Gatwick after Buster was found dead in a transport container, which was too small.

Magistrates heard that snub-nosed breeds such as English Bulldogs are more susceptible to breathing problems in times of stress, and Buster's too-small container was likely to have caused him unnecessary suffering during transportation.

The court also heard that before the flight was loaded at Larnaca airport, unauthorised personnel had been allowed to move Buster's container around in order to take photographs of him for personal purposes, contrary to the provisions of Thomas Cook's own cargo manual.

It was acknowledged by the defence that this unnecessary handling may have contributed to Buster's stress.

Thomas Cook Airlines had denied causing unnecessary suffering, using a transport container that was not of the correct size and two counts regarding the incorrect labelling of the transport container.

However it was found guilty of all four offences on Friday following a three-day trial.

The company was fined £6,500 and ordered to pay £12,000 costs to the council's Trading Standards Service.

Pete Bradbury, West Sussex cabinet member for public protection, said: 'Our Trading Standards Service took this action because it is responsible for ensuring all carriers using the airport to transport animals comply with welfare regulations.'

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