Human Responds to Backlash After Dog Spends 20 Hours in Carrier on Flight

When Rebecca Chang first met ChowChow, the Corgi was only a few months old, dirty, skinny, and in a trash can. Although Chang was unsure in the beginning, ChowChow won her over and Chang adopted the pup. However, after three years of living in Seoul, South Korea, Chang decided to move to Croatia with her husband. She wanted to take ChowChow with her. 

However, transporting an animal companion internationally can be very complicated. This proved to be the case for Chang and ChowChow. The pup needed to undergo various testing and vaccination processes which took four months. Despite this lengthy process, there was another snag. ChowChow needed to have a health certificate issued in her country of origin less than ten days before arriving in the European Union. This requirement, and the difficulty of crossing through multiple countries made travel by land extremely difficult. Due to airline restrictions, ChowChow was not allowed to travel with Chang in the airplane’s cabin. Instead, the dog had to make the twenty-hour flight in a carrier placed in the cargo hold.

@rebeccazhangggg

Thank you for @Qatar Airways offering the best pet service to our dog and she enjoyed her flight! #qatarairways🇶🇦 #qatarairwayspetservice #animaltransportation #petairlines #croatiafulloflife #croatia🇭🇷

♬ Lose Justice – Ives Rebecca Lynn

In a video posted to the TikTok account @rebeccazhangggg, a video can be seen of ChowChow emerging in her carrier after the flight. Text overlay on the video reads “When I saw her flied 20hrs alone from Asia to Europe and finally arrived her 4ever destination, I can’t stop crying and my heart melted because of our brave little girl.” Chang felt bad that ChowChow was not able to travel with her and instead had to make the trip alone. However, commenters quickly pointed out that the conditions ChowChow had to make the flight in were deplorable. Flying in the cargo cabin can be dangerous for living creatures. There have been multiple instances where it has even proven deadly.

Sadly, many airlines impose strict restrictions that disallow most animal companions from traveling in the cabin of the aircraft. Typically, any non-human animal traveling in the cabin must fit comfortably in a carrier that can be stored underneath a seat. This rules out all but the smallest animal companions. Unfortunately, this puts humans in a hard position. They must choose to either rehome their beloved family member or subject them to a long flight alone in a carrier. 

Chang tried to make the flight more comfortable for ChowChow. Before the flight, she began to acclimate ChowChow to being in the carrier and even played airplane sounds for her to make her more comfortable with the noise. Additionally, when the time came for ChowChow to make her trip, Chang put articles of her clothing in the carrier hoping that they would comfort ChowChow. 

Ultimately, Change feels that despite the backlash, it was worth it to bring ChowChow with her. Now, she gets to spend her days playing in Chang and her husband’s garden with her new feline siblings. She has also gotten to explore Croatia and has been to different cities and beaches with her humans. 

Sign this petition asking that all animals regardless of size be allowed to travel in airplane cabins!

We encourage everyone thinking of getting a pet to only adopt instead of shopping. Read more resources about adopting animals on One Green Planet, including 7 Reasons to Adopt Your Next Furry Best Friend, 5 Reasons Why Everyone Should Adopt a Pet, and These Heartwarming Before and After Pictures of Adopted Rescue Animals Will Make Your Day! Read tips for pet adoptions and what to consider before adopting an animal. We recommend using these apps to find shelter dogs near you!

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