Airline can't find puppy shipped from Norfolk to Dallas
By JANETTE RODRIGUES, The Virginian-Pilot
? June 24, 2006
CHESAPEAKE - It's one thing to lose a piece of luggage, but another to misplace a puppy.
But that's just what happened when a Chesapeake woman recently used Delta Airlines to ship her 3-month-old Yorkshire terrier puppy from Norfolk International Airport to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
Courtney Johnson, 26, said Friday the last time she saw her teacup Yorkie, Apple Riley, was in the crate she had lovingly filled with the puppy's blankets, chew toys, "Vicious" T-shirt and pink hoodie, for a trip to Texas last Saturday.
The dog never made it to Dallas - or Atlanta or Pittsburgh - as Delta customer service representatives initially told Johnson.
"The latest as of Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. is they told me they could not find her," said Johnson, who was not on the flight. "She was no where in the airport."
A Delta spokeswoman said what happened is a rare occurrence, but it does happen. The airline has wrapped up the investigation into Apple Riley's disappearance.
"We did notify the customer that we were not able to locate the animal, so this has moved into a claims process," said Gina Laughlin of Delta. "And we are working with the customer right now to work through the claims process."
She would not speculate on the odds of the puppy being alive.
This isn't the first time Delta lost a family pet. In March, the airline lost a champion whippet named Vivi after she broke free of her crate, newspapers reported. The dog was never recovered, and the airline settled with the sight hound's owner for $2,000 in search-related fees.
Also in March, a New York bulldog breeder said Delta "forgot" about her puppy for a day when he missed a connecting flight, newspapers reported.
Johnson is heartbroken. She had been saving up to buy the $1,500 puppy for a long time. It cost her $200 to have her shipped from Texas.
"I had to save my money for a very, very long time to be able to afford her," she said. "I have wanted her all my life, and I had her for two weeks. Everyone who saw her just fell in love with her."
Johnson was sending her back to Kimberli Wood, a Texas Yorkie breeder, because she was worried about the puppy. Apple Riley was listless and wasn't eating, despite an overnight trip to a veterinary hospital.
As nervous about Apple Riley as a new mother, Johnson was in constant contact with Wood. The women agreed that maybe the puppy needed some extra TLC.
"Sometimes these little, itty, bitty ones are finicky," Wood said.
The women believe Delta was negligent. They wonder why no physical trace of the dog or the carrier have been found. They speculate that someone may have stolen Apple Riley.
Teacup dogs - toy breeds that weigh less than 2 pounds - have been popular pets and fashion accessories for a few years. They have become popular dognapping targets because they can sell for upwards of $1,800.
Sometimes dogs are stolen for even more sinister reasons - to use as bait to train fighting dogs.
Johnson and Wood said they were told a number of stories by airline officials between the time they realized the puppy was missing and when Delta admitted it had misplaced the pet.
"The airline told the breeder that she was in a kennel overnight and they would send her to Dallas on the first flight in the morning," Johnson said. "The breeder called the kennel and found out she wasn't there."
When asked why no trace of Apple Riley or her carrier were found, Delta had no answer.
"Delta deeply regrets that this unfortunate situation has happened," Laughlin said. "We are committed to working with this customer to finalize the claims process."
Wood, who has been a dog breeder for nearly a decade, said she will never use Delta again to ship an animal. Johnson plans to speak to a lawyer.
Reach Janette Rodrigues at (757 ) 222-5208 or janette.rodrigues@pilotonline.com.