Lafourche Booking Log – March 13, 2018
March 14, 2018
Riley leaving Nicholls
March 15, 2018
Louisiana’s junior U.S. senator has taken a leading role in crafting animal protection legislation, following the death of a French bulldog while allegedly in transit on a United Airlines flight from Houston to New York.
Sen. John Kennedy R-La joined Sen. Cortez Masto D-Nev. in filing the WOOFF (Welfare Of Our Furry Friends) Act, which will prohibit placement of animals in overhead luggage compartments of airplanes. The act includes civil penalties for anyone violating the law.
“Pets are members of the family. Unfortunately, for our pets, they are at the mercy of human beings showing some common sense,” said Sen. Kennedy. “United Airlines is promising to put special tags on pet carriers to help flight attendants in the future. I’d rather make it the law that animals aren’t to be treated like an old piece of luggage.”
Kennedy cited a U.S. Department of Transportation report that 24 animals died last year while in the care of major U.S. airlines, with United leading the list of occurrences.
A flurry of news reports alleged that the passenger was forced to place the dog in the overhead bin during the flight. Subsequent reports have indicated that the flight attendant did not know there was a live animal in the pet carrier.
United has since said it will issue special colored tags for pets in carriers beginning in April.
