7 Puppies Die After American Airlines Flight

FORT WORTH, Texas — Seven puppies died after flying in the cargo hold of an American Airlines jet.

American said it contacted the shipper who put the puppies on a Tuesday morning flight from Tulsa, Okla., to Chicago, and is investigating further.

Airline spokeswoman Mary Frances Fagan said Wednesday the shipper put 14 puppies aboard Flight 851, which was scheduled to leave Tulsa at 6:30 a.m. but was delayed an hour by storms in Chicago.

American said on its website it won't carry warm-blooded animals if the actual or forecast temperature is above 85 degrees. As the plane sat on the tarmac in Tulsa, it was already 86 degrees before 7 a.m., according to the National Weather Service.

Fagan said cargo holds carrying animals are routinely kept between 50 and 70 degrees.

Baggage handlers taking the puppies to a kennel area at O'Hare Airport grew concerned because they looked lethargic. Employees tried to cool down the dogs, and they were taken to a vet's office, but five died initially and two others died later, Fagan said.

Several of the puppies were headed to connecting flights. Fagan declined to identify the shipper or say whether American had taken animals from the same shipper before and, if so, whether there had been problems with any previous flights.

GO HERE to read more.