The death of the dog Joca, a four-year-old golden retriever, during a flight with the company Gol, will be investigated by the Ministry of Ports and Airports, together with Anac, the National Civil Aviation Agency. The bodies have already asked the airline for clarification on the case, and want to review the rules for transporting pets in the country.
Joca was boarded in São Paulo, on Monday (22), bound for Sinop, in Mato Grosso. The trip would take two and a half hours. But, due to a mistake by the company, the dog was shipped to Fortaleza. Once the error was realized, upon arriving in the capital of Ceará, Joca was sent back to São Paulo. During this journey, which took eight hours, the dog did not survive and died upon disembarking, in Guarulhos.
For the dog’s guardian, engineer João Fantazzini, Joca’s death occurred due to the long journey, without eating, and he would have spent around an hour and a half on the boarding and disembarking track, inside the kennel, at a temperature of 36°. The owner believes that the pet suffered a lot.
During an event at Palácio do Planalto this Wednesday, President Lula showed the tie he was wearing and explained that it was a tribute to his dog Joca.
“My tie has a drawing of a puppy, in protest of what happened to the dog. He died because he spent eight hours without drinking water, trapped inside a plane. I think Gol has to be accountable, I think Anac has to monitor this and I think we cannot allow this to continue happening in Brazil”, stated the president.
In a statement, GOL expressed solidarity and regretted the loss of the pet. And he informed that he will investigate the details of the mistake in boarding the dog.
The airline also announced that, as of today, the air transport of animals in the hold is suspended for 30 days. During this period, Gol will allow the transport of pets with their owners, inside the plane cabin. For those who had already contracted the transport service through the aircraft hold, it will be possible to request a refund of the total amount or reschedule the trip.
The São Paulo Civil Police also opened an investigation to investigate the death of the dog Joca.
