First my thoughts & love go to the pet parents of Jack the Cat lost at JFK & to George the Cat lost at Edmonton airport here in Canada.
My mom is deeply saddened for both as we had been pulling for their speedy recovery & return home. Coincidentally they had been lost within a month of each other at different airports by different airlines, Jack with American Airlines & George with Air Canada.
Both accidents could have been avoided no doubt with proper & swift action by the airlines. American waited to notify Jack's mom & waited to long to do something about it in my opinion as well as in the opinion of others. They also apparently dismissed suggestions of where to check for him...ceiling! (secure area blah blah blah...) Come on we are cats! Where do you think we will be? We take cover/hide in unfamiliar territory because we are scared & just want our moms! (or dads).
By the time Jack was found 2 months later, or should I quote "rescued himself" (he fell through a ceiling tile in the customs area), he was emaciated, underweight & had horrible skin wounds as a result - later all this damage would prove to much for this brave boy to be able to heal. Jack the cat left our world in early November with his pet mom Karen Pascoe by his side & the wonderful vets in New York who worked tirelessly to save him. In the end Jack was surrounded by love & really that's all us cats want in the end.
Jack's Facebook page is still up & committed to saving other cats (incidentally the search for Jack turned up countless other stray cats at the airport which the group went on to save & re-home!) You can like, support & become FoJ's (Friends of Jack).
Karen has also started a movement called Jacks the Cat's Law to get airlines to change their ways. Pets are not luggage & need to be treated as living, feeling beings. This law would require airlines to properly track animals & have a better response time if they go missing. In a perfect world no pets would ever go missing or fly cargo, but until that day comes we all need to make as much change in this industry as possible.
You can sign the petition for Jacks Law here:
George the cat, please like his Facebook page , was lost shortly after Jack, but unlike Jack didn't have as much publicity. Apparently poor George escaped twice from his carrier? Ok, luggage handlers really? Then the airline tried to blame it on a missing bolt from the carrier. Dropping a carrier may also cause a bolt to go missing?? Sorry if I have little faith in that theory, if I was a betting cat...you get my drift.
George's pet mom Vanessa Summerfield & rescue groups did their best to help find George, the airline did the standard stuff, food, traps etc...& apparently ground crew had even seen him around. Unfortunately the cold Canadian weather wasn't feeling benevolent & poor George was found frozen to death :( I am so sad & my mom once again has tears in her eyes.
Us cats are very strong & resilient creatures believe me, but what these cats went through is beyond most of our healing capabilities even with humans help.
I would like to think that Jack was there to comfort George in his final moments & to guide him over to the rainbow bridge. I hope that these deaths were not in vain & that all you wonderful humans will continue to fight for better regulations so we never have to read about another "Jack" or "George" ever again.
If you live in the US you are lucky enough to have an alternative option called Pet Airways where pets fly in cabin. Check them out here: http://www.petairways.com/ I hope one day they decide to branch out in Canada.
Pawnote:
Horrible tragedies like what happened to Jack & George occur more than you think. Here is a recent example of a couple who is suing Air Canada for losing their cat - the point is not the money but to get Airlines to recognize & change their ways. Go get em! Couple sues Air Canada for losing their cat
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