But after waiting about an hour for Ludwig’s case to emerge, Mannell said an airline worker told her he’d gotten out of his cage and disappeared as the baggage compartment was opened. Somehow, the cage door’s knob was twisted open, she was told.it gets worse.
But on Tuesday, WestJet spokesman Robert Palmer said Ludwig’s cage was actually knocked to the ground as it was being loaded onto a conveyor belt inside Terminal 3.
When she was finally allowed to go behind the scenes to call him in hopes he would respond to his master's voice, a handler thought it was funny to "meow", thus giving her false hope that he was there. Real funny. Poor cat is lost, terrified, perhaps injured (there is a LOT of equipment, machinery, chaos behind there) - but the whole thing is FUNNY to some idiots? Oh, and another staff member? Suggests bringing in his BIG DOG to find this poor lost kitten!
This is sad in so many ways.
first and foremost, there is a terrified, probably hungry and frightened cat running around a potentially lethal place with equipment, chemicals, machinery. There is a frightened, devestated owner who did everything she was told to bring her cat home and not getting much positive feedback from the organization that created this situation. And there is the OBVIOUS attitude that "it's just a stupid cat" from a lot of people back there that doesn't give one a whole lot of hope that people are taking this seriously.
There's a strong sense of deja vu in this for me.
30 years ago, flying from Frederiction, New Brunswick to Montreal on my way home for Xmas, I had to fly my cat Tigger. He too was relegated to the baggage comapartment to an area I was ASSURED (i CHECKED) was climate controlled. I waited for a LONG time after all the luggage had been delivered and still NO Tigger. I had to create hell until finally a baggage handler came out with Tigger, in his cage, on a cart. When I went to pick up the (metal) cage, all the skin on my hands was stung badly - the metal was SO cold that it took a layer OFF .. he had NOT been put into the climate controlled area but stayed in the regular baggage compartment! Only for inclement weather that kept the plane lower in the atmosphere than usual was he alive. He was bleeding from his nose and eyes and shivering uncontrollably. And despite complaints, the airline (Air Canada) did NOTHING. Did not even take it seriously!
And THEN, flying him BACK to Frederiction, there I am waiting for him after disembarking and NO Tigger and I see the flight taxi out and take off for St. John! Again, creating hell, I was told "oops" forgot to take him OFF. In that case at least the management at the airport phoned St. John and allowed me to speak to someone personally who took full responsiblity for getting him off, changing his litter and giving him food and water and then the airline returned him to Fredericton the next day and to my apartment. BUT, again, there just doesn't seem to be a lot of care about the fate of our animals!
Julie - keeping our fingers crossed, your Ludwig is found SOON. WestJet STEP UP and take responsibility! HIRE some people that LIKE animals to find this poor cat and do it NOW.
I too am a cat lover, and the lack of care that these people are demonstrating to these pets is disgusting.
ReplyDeleteI just read this in my local newspaper today, and am thoroughly disgusted.
The mentality with people like this, is that "cats are just stupid animals", and that "you can just get another one".
What they don't realize that they are just as part of your family as a child, and mean just as much.
I hope Julie finds her cat, I really do. For her sake and Ludwig’s. The idea that there’s a poor cat somewhere cold, and scared and possibly injured is a terrifying and sad thing.
Ludwig has been found!
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