Air Canada lost a dog and responded with a callous e-mail that got publicly released, according to USA Today.
Handlers at San Francisco International Airport took the dog out of his crate after his flight was delayed, and the dog somehow escaped his collar, according to a spokesperson at Air Canada. The dog, named Larry, bolted and was spotted approximately five miles away from the airport.
A local CBS television station took an interest in the story and reported it on their local news broadcast. The station asked the airline about its procedures.
The station received an email from Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick, which urged his co-workers to ignore the television station's inquiry.
"I think I would just ignore, it is local news doing a story on a lost dog," the e-mail read. "The entire government is shut down and about to default and this is how the U.S. media spends its time."
As people found out about the careless response, people responded online with outrage at the airline.
"If you ever fly with your pet, you might not want to choose Air Canada," a Twitter user wrote.
Air Canada has responded with a formal statement.
"Air Canada acknowledges inappropriate comments were made in response to a reporter's follow-up questions for additional details regarding Larry," the statement said. "However, Air Canada has been providing the best available information to media on this matter.
"These comments do not reflect Air Canada's standards or professionalism, and do not refer to the search for Larry by Air Canada employees which is ongoing," the statement continued.
Larry's owner was understandably upset and angry.
"I was angry...[but] I was not surprised that someone could be that stupid," Jutta Kulic said. "It was an incredibly stupid, very cold, callous email."
Air Canada is still searching for Larry and Kulic is currently uncertain as to Larry's whereabouts or survival, after reports that a car may have hit him.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
