French bulldog dies on Alaska Airlines flight after being moved from first class to coach, lawsuit claims
A San Francisco man has sued Alaska Airlines alleging negligence led to the death of his beloved 3-year-old French bulldog after he was asked to move from first-class to coach on a flight from New York to San Francisco.
A San Francisco man has sued Alaska Airlines alleging negligence led to the death of his beloved 3-year-old French bulldog after he was asked to move from first-class to coach on a flight from New York to San Francisco.
Michael Contillo claimed he specifically purchased a first-class ticket to give his pup, Ash, more space and to keep him around fewer people on the Feb. 1 flight. However, Contillo was asked to move to coach, which caused Ash to become anxious, and led to health issues culminating in the dog's death, the complaint said.
The lawsuit, filed Oct. 16 in San Francisco County Superior Court against Alaska Airlines, alleges breach of contract, negligence, negligent hiring and supervision, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and seeks punitive damages to be determined at trial.
The complaint says that in November 2023, Contillo had travelled from San Francisco to New York with his father and two French bulldogs — Ash and Kora. On that trip they flew first class without incident and both French bulldogs arrived safely in New York.
The suit alleges both dogs were healthy during their stay in New York and the plaintiff took the bulldogs to a veterinary hospital to get checked out ahead of their return flight to San Francisco to make sure they were health enough for the journey.
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