Death of dog Joca: Gol must give explanations to the Ministry of Justice

São Paulo — Gol Linhas Aéreas must provide clarifications, this Thursday (25/4), to the National Consumer Secretariat (Senacon), linked to the Ministry of Justice, regarding the case of the dog Joca, who died after being boarded on a flight wrong with the company.

Joca, a 4-year-old golden retriever dog, died on Monday (22/4) during air transport in the hold of a company aircraft. The Ministry of Ports and Airports and the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) announced that they are also investigating the case.

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João Fantazzini and Joca, who died on a Gol flight
Reproduction/Social Media

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Golden retriever Joca died on Gol flight
Reproduction/Social Media

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Golden retriever Joca died on Gol flight
Reproduction/Social Media

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Golden Retriever was 5 years old
Reproduction/Social Media

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João Fantazzini and Joca
Reproduction/Social Media

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The tutor posted photos with Joca on social media
Reproduction/Social Media

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Tutor was waiting for Joca at MS
Reproduction/Social Media

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Furthermore, the Guarulhos Environmental Police Department opened a police investigation to investigate the death, according to the Public Security Secretariat (SSP).

48 hour deadline

Senacon reported that it notified Gol on Tuesday (23/4) to provide clarification on the circumstances of Joca’s death. The deadline for responding, 48 hours, ends this Thursday.

The company must inform Senacon about its animal transport policy, what actions are taken to prevent cases like Joca’s and how the golden retriever’s family is being repaired.

After the dog’s death, Gol announced the temporary suspension of air transport of animals in the hold of planes. The transport of small animals in the aircraft cabin is maintained.

The case gained so much repercussion that even President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva spoke about the subject this Wednesday (24/4). He wore a tie with drawings of dogs and showed solidarity with his owners’ family.

“The dog died because it spent eight hours without drinking water, trapped inside the plane”, lamented Lula. “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.”

Boarding the wrong flight

On Monday, Joca should have left São Paulo International Airport, in Guarulhos, heading to Sinop Municipal Airport, in Mato Grosso, on flight 1480, on which his guardian, João Fantazzini, was traveling.

The airline, however, boarded Joca on a different flight, to Fortaleza. João only found out about the error when he arrived in Mato Grosso. Gol asked if he wanted to return to São Paulo to pick up Joca, who was in another state due to an error.

The tutor managed to get free round-trip flights from Mato Grosso to São Paulo, as well as accommodation. Upon arriving in the capital of São Paulo, a Gol employee welcomed João onto the plane and offered him food. So, he waited until the flight the dog was on landed, and received him lifeless, inside the transport box.

On social media, Joca’s guardians hold the airline responsible for the death. “They left the dog in the sun on the track inside the box. Our Joca arrived in SP and they reported that he was dead”, said Giovanna Fantazzini. “It ended our family, he was our family! Nothing will bring our Joca back!”

What Gol says

Gol stated, in a statement, that it “deeply regrets” Joca’s death and sympathizes with his guardian’s pain. The company admitted that an operational failure caused the dog to be boarded on the wrong flight and says that investigating the details of the case is being carried out with “total priority”.

“We sympathize with the suffering of Joca’s tutor. We understand his pain and are deeply sorry for the loss of his pet”, says a note from the company.