91Ƶ

Skip to content

91ƵVery upset:91Ƶ Escaped dog shot at Canadian airport to avoid aircraft mishap

Airport official says dog ran onto runway and forced a flight crew to abort landing attempt
11408501_web1_180411-BPD-M-MBA101468313
Greta, a two-year-old golden Labrador mix. (Manitoba Mutts Dog Rescue via The Canadian Press)

A frightened rescue dog that escaped from a plane and scampered onto a runway at Winnipeg91Ƶs airport was shot dead by wildlife control after officials feared the pet might cause an accident.

Winnipeg-based Manitoba Mutts Dog Rescue says the two-year-old golden-Labrador mix, named Greta, fled from a Perimeter Aviation plane Monday after a flight from Shamattawa First Nation.

Airport spokesman Tyler MacAfee says the dog ran onto a runway and forced the crew of a WestJet flight from Las Vegas to abort a landing attempt.

READ MORE: Dog dies after airline worker has it placed in overhead bin

MacAfee says the dog started to run back toward the runway a second time and, despite efforts by two officers to coax Greta in, the dog could not be corralled and was shot to avoid another conflict with an aircraft.

Rebecca Norman, a Manitoba Mutts director, says Greta had been placed in a standard plastic kennel, but it appears she chewed through the side and jumped from the plane when the door opened.

Norman says the organization plans to meet with airport officials to discuss ways to prevent similar incidents.

91ƵIt was a bit of a shock for all parties involved,91Ƶ said Norman. 91ƵI think everyone did the best that they could, given the scenario. The outcome was as it should be.91Ƶ

Greta was considered a community dog that ran loose, she said, although she wasn91Ƶt feral and was still approachable.

91ƵDogs don91Ƶt take well to taking trips on airplanes. Any dog would be quite fearful after a flight.91Ƶ

Norman said a standard metal kennel had been provided for Greta91Ƶs transport, but a volunteer in Shamattawa decided the weight was too heavy to load onto a truck, so the dog was left in the plastic kennel.

She said the rescue group has flown many dogs in plastic carriers before.

A member of a foster family that would have taken Greta before possible placement in a permanent home was waiting at the airport.

91ƵThey were very upset. This was their first foster dog with us so it was pretty traumatizing. Thankfully, she was able to take another dog that was on the flight.91Ƶ

MacAfee said pets have escaped from their crates before, but this is the first time the airport had to shoot an animal.

He said they91Ƶve looked at the option of using a tranquillizer gun.

91ƵMy understanding is that there are no airports in Canada which use that technique, but 91Ƶ if it91Ƶs practical and makes sense and works then, absolutely, we would look at it as an option.91Ƶ

Norman said it91Ƶs wonderful the airport has offered to meet with her organization, but she91Ƶs not sure much will change 91Ƶin terms of protocol.91Ƶ

91ƵTranquilizer darts take quite a long time to work and it91Ƶs a guessing game on how much the dog weighs and how much medication to give.91Ƶ

Norman also said wire kennels don91Ƶt always meet airlines91Ƶ size requirements and Manitoba Mutts has spoken to Perimeter Aviation about using carriers with heavier plastic.

There was no immediate reply from Perimeter to a request for comment.

The Canadian Press





(or

91Ƶ

) document.head.appendChild(flippScript); window.flippxp = window.flippxp || {run: []}; window.flippxp.run.push(function() { window.flippxp.registerSlot("#flipp-ux-slot-ssdaw212", "Black Press Media Standard", 1281409, [312035]); }); }