He almost died of thirst in the hot cargo hold – in the video you can see how close a family could just save their dog's life.
Bulldog Ithaque was lucky: After an airline forgot the animal through negligence without water in an overheated cargo hold, its owners were able to prevent the worst from happening with a quick visit to the vet.
Exhausted and dehydrated
Actually, it should have been a nice start to a new phase of life: the French couple Yannick and Christelle wanted to move to the island of Reunion with their children. Family dog Ithaque should of course also come – but unfortunately could not fly in the same machine as its owner. And this is how the accident took its course: After landing, the airline employees forgot that they still had an animal in the cargo hold and left the bulldog alone without water. Luckily, Ithaque has now recovered thanks to a quick visit to the vet – but the pictures of the weakened animal are still angry.
Sufficient water is so important for dogs
Especially at high temperatures, it is incredibly important that dogs can drink enough fluids. Depending on the dog breed and activity, between 40 and 100 milliliters of water are required – underneath, it quickly becomes a great burden on the dog's body. The extreme situation in the aircraft cargo hold, which was dangerously heated from the outside by the blazing sun, would have been unsafe for the Bulldog either way. Without any water, it quickly became life-threatening for Ithaque. Fortunately, in this case it turned out well – and the airline now has to answer for its negligence. The story quickly got around on the net, causing widespread criticism, especially on the airline's social channels. The family is definitely relieved that their pet has recovered – and hopes for a better start in the new home of La Réunion.