Family seeks answers following death of dog on flight

PASADENA, Calif. – A California family is seeking answers from an airline after its pet dog died during a flight.

KABC reported Monday that Andranik Avetisian of Pasadena says his family’s 5-month-old purebred Central Asian Shepherd was found dead in the cargo hold of a KLM Dutch Royal Airlines jet March 19.

Avetisian says the dog named Bear was on route from his birth home in Greece to his new family in California after family friends in Athens gifted him to the Avetisian children.

The family says that for six days they have been unable to view the dog’s body, retrieve it or find out where it is being kept.

The family’s attorney says he may seek action from police and the district attorney.

KLM says it is in contact with the owner but cannot release details of its investigation for the purpose of customer confidentiality.