Cargo dog 'fine' after plane ordeal

Owner talks to CNN after cross-country baggage error

June 7, 2000
Web posted at: 10:56 a.m. EDT (1456 GMT)

SAN JOSE, California (CNN) -- Despite spending more than two hours in an airplane's unheated cargo hold, a dog named Dakota is "fine," owner Mike Bell told CNN on Wednesday.

The pilot of a United Airlines flight from Washington to San Jose, California, made an unscheduled landing in Denver on Saturday after it was discovered that a baggage handler had mistakenly loaded the dog into the chilly forward cargo hold of the Airbus A320.

Dakota, a 10-year-old Basenji, emerged shivering but unhurt on the tarmac in Denver.

VIDEO CNN's Carol Lin interviews the dog's owner. Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K

"He was shaking ... (either from the cold or from) ... being stressed out, but I was real happy to see him," said Bell, who lives in Santa Clara, California. "(The pilot) said if we had continued to San Jose, the dog would not have survived."

After being alerted to the error, the pilot informed passengers they were landing in Denver, the nearest airport, in hopes of saving Dakota.

According to Bell, none of the 90 passengers complained. In fact, he says, they cheered when Bell brought Dakota on board with him to complete the flight.

United Airlines
Basenji Club of America, African Barkless Dogs

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.