After United Airlines announced a plan Tuesday to suspend transporting large pets, military families on Guam are wondering how they will ship large pets off the island, according to a story first reported by Military.com.
United temporarily suspended the Petsafe Pet Transport and Shipping program after several incidents, including the death of a small dog and two mix-ups that sent dogs to the wrong destinations.
According to the airline’s website, they will be conducting a “systematic review” of the program that should be completed by May 1.
The decision to suspend the program for shipping large pets does not affect pets that can travel in-cabin with their people.
But the 7,000 U.S. troops stationed at the two U.S. military bases on the territory rely on United as the only airline that flies in or out of Guam, and the program’s suspension could be problematic for families preparing to move on or off the island, according to Military.com.
In other locations, pets can be shipped via Air Mobility Command’s Patriot Express, a commercially contracted service. However, Andersen Passenger Terminal, Guam’s only military airport, does not offer those flights, officials said on the terminal’s Facebook page.
“In light of the recent decision by United Airlines to suspend bookings for pets, we have begun to receive many phone calls regarding the shipping of pets on DoD aircraft,” officials said in a Tuesday post on the Facebook page. “Unfortunately, we do not have commercially contracted passenger missions out of Andersen and are unable to ship pets at this time.”
People with concerns were directed to call the Andersen Passenger Terminal.
