A family has made their feelings known after their much-loved animal companion did not make it on board their flight and was left behind in Saudi Arabia.
After making the decision to relocate to Tennessee, Madison Miller and her family left London Heathrow Airport and headed to Nashville International Airport to begin their new lives.
The family’s dog, Bluebell, who is now five years old, was supposed to accompany them on their move; however, the animal did not end up traveling with them on their flight.
Allegedly, the family was given the wrong dog upon landing in Nashville, and they were later informed that Bluebell hadn’t even been on the same flight as them and had instead been delivered to Saudi Arabia.
Miller told WSMV that approximately one hour after landing, the family was shown a picture of Bluebell locked in her crate, which served as confirmation that she was indeed in the Arab country.
The pet owner said:
After we knew she was in Saudi Arabia, it was just all hands-on deck. How do we get her back?
The family had to wait three more days before they could find out anything new about Bluebell.
After being forced to take three flights and traveling for more than 60 hours, the much-loved pet was finally able to make it to Nashville, where she was headed.
Miller, however, explained that as soon as Bluebell arrived at the airport, the family immediately realized that something was wrong.
Miller revealed that she secretly hoped the family’s reunion with Bluebell would be “kind of like the reunion you see on YouTube, where she comes out of the crate, wagging and licking your face.”
But Bluebell’s answer surprised everyone because it was the exact opposite of what they thought she would say.
We had to go and grab her because she was so horrified and that’s when we knew something was wrong,
Miller explained.
Miller even claims that Bluebell seems like a completely different dog since the incident – picture scenes from Marley and Me – and that she has been left “traumatized,” to the point where she has damaged the family’s home.
Madison said,
It’s been a 24/7 ordeal, she cries in the night and during the day. It has broken our hearts as her parents. She is our family and we let her down.
We’ve paid $3,000 (£2,460) dollars for a behaviourist, and she takes anxiety medication three times a day. I’m afraid of the costs of this. They’ll be wracking up hard and fast.
The family “doesn’t even understand how [such an incident] could happen because there are so many safety checks in place.”
They are now seeking financial compensation from IAG Cargo, the company that was responsible for taking care of Bluebell on that particular day, in addition to demanding answers.
After British Airways forwarded the request for comment to them, a representative from IAG Cargo said the following to WSMV:
We are very sorry for the recent error that occurred during Bluebell’s trip to Nashville. We take the responsibility of caring for people’s loved animals seriously and are investigating how the redirection happened.
Whilst Bluebell’s route was longer than it should have been, we ensured she was on the first flight back to Nashville from London Heathrow. During her time with us she received refreshments frequently and had time outside to stretch her legs – including regular walks and eight hours with the team at the Heathrow Animal Reception centre who cared for her.
Despite these measures, we understand that this has been an upsetting situation for Bluebell and her owners and remain in contact with them to resolve the situation.
