Dog owners and animal protection NGOs held simultaneous protests this Sunday, the 28th, in several states in memory of Joca, a Golden Retriever dog that died on Monday, 22. The dog was mistakenly sent by Gol airline to a different destination than its owner and died during the flight.
In São Paulo, protests took place at Cumbica Airport, in Guarulhos, where the death was recorded, and also at Congonhas Airport, in the south of São Paulo. Protesters in São Paulo reported that similar acts took place in Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba and Brasília.
The Golden Retriever dog died on Monday, 22, during an air transport carried out by Gollog, the cargo service of the airline Gol. The dog Joca was just 5 years old and was going with his guardian, engineer João Fantazzini, from Guarulhos, São Paulo, to Sinop, in Mato Grosso.
Due to the company’s error, the animal was boarded on the wrong flight, bound for Fortaleza. The dog was then boarded on a new flight back to Guarulhos. After landing, his death was confirmed.
In Guarulhos, NGOs and animal owners took their pets to protest against the lack of security on flights in Brazil for transporting animals. On one of the banners hanging at the Guarulhos domestic departure terminal, a banner displays the phrase “We are not baggage, we are someone’s love”.
A Joca’s death had great repercussions on social media and sparked the debate for the regulation of pet transport. The rules for transporting animals are the responsibility of each airline, which establishes restrictions regarding the size of the animal and the necessary documentation, and also determines the amounts and fees charged.
Large dogs, like Joca, are usually transported in the hold of aircraft, along with baggage and checked cargo.
