A dog dies of hunger and thirst after being transported by an airline to the wrong destination
“You were so young!,” Fantazzini wrote in an Instagram post accompanied by a series of photographs of him and Joca. “I remember the day I welcomed you into our family and the instant bond we created. My dear son, please forgive me for my selfish desire to have you by my side forever. You will always be the love of my life! I will miss you every single day. I miss giving you your morning apple, taking you to the pool, and taking care of you. Thank you for everything, my beloved friend!”
Gol acknowledged that a “regrettable mistake” led to the untimely demise of the dog. “GOL empathizes with the pain experienced by Joca’s owner and his family. We understand the profound sorrow you are going through and offer our heartfelt apologies for the loss of your beloved pet,” the airline expressed.
“The company is providing full support to the owner and his family from the very beginning. Our team is diligently conducting an investigation into the incident to determine the exact circumstances,” they further added.
Silvio Costa Silva, director of the Ministry of Ports and Airports, shared that their department has joined efforts with the National Civil Aviation Agency in conducting a thorough investigation.
During a press conference on Wednesday, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva advocated for stringent measures to prevent a recurrence of such incidents. He even wore a tie with a dog print to symbolize his empathy. “The dog tragically lost his life due to being confined inside the plane for eight hours without access to water,” Lula lamented. “I firmly believe that Gol must be held accountable. The Anac (National Civil Aviation Agency) must closely regulate such matters, and we cannot tolerate these occurrences in Brazil.”
The heartbreaking incident has caused a widespread call for greater attention to pet safety during air travel, with authorities and airline companies facing mounting pressure to improve their protocols.