WATCH ABOVE: Garrett Haake has the details on why a cat breeder is blaming Delta for the freezing death of a cat he was shipping.
A cat breeder from Kansas City, Kansas claims that Delta Airlines mishandled a hairless Sphynx kitten, leaving it to freeze to death on the flight.
Tyson Guttenfelder and his partner breed purebred hairless cats, which can fetch up to $1,500 for a kitten.
In December, they were shipping a kitten to a family in Philadelphia who was eagerly awaiting the arrival of their Christmas kitty.
Packed in an FAA approved cat carrier and stocked with food and water, the kitten was passed onto Delta’s care for transportation.
READ MORE: Dog walker Emma Paulsen gets jail time
Once in Philadelphia, Delta handed the frozen cat to the family, apparently unaware of its deceased condition.
The airline commissioned an investigation and determined that the cat most likely died of hypothermia, but considers themselves absolved of the situation since the temperature inside the aircraft was well above the minimum in which they believe is safe to ship a pet.
According to Guttenfelder, Delta initially offered $1.50 in compensation: fifty cents per pound of cargo lost. After the investigation, the airline offered $500 as a goodwill gesture.
Guttenfelder has started a Change.org petition, hoping to change the way animals are treated during airline transportation.
Comments