United isn’t the only airline having pet problems.
According to KTVB, Delta Airlines had a mix up with two puppies being shipped through the airline, flying one of the dogs from Virginia to the other side of the country, instead of the intended final destination of Boise, Idaho.
Both of the dogs have since made it to Idaho, but not without plenty of confusion and frustration from their owners.
It started when the breeder of the two pups placed the dogs on a Delta flight from Richmond, Virginia, to Boise, reports the local NBC affiliate, where the dogs were set to go home with two different local families.
Josh Schlaich, the new owner of one of the dogs, told KTVB about an odd phone call he reportedly received from the airline on Saturday, the day the puppies were set to take off.
“They said ‘Hey, just wanted to let you know the dog’s flight has been delayed and the dog is going to stay the night here.’,” Schlaich told the station. “They said, ‘Here’s the number of a person who’s going to take care of it, his name is Chris. You need to call them if you want anymore information, thanks, bye.'”
The concerned owner tried to get a hold of the contact provided, and when that failed, contacted the airport. After several alleged hang ups by Delta, Schlaich got some information on his puppy. According to CNN, the puppy was set to fly from Richmond, Virginia, to Boise, making stops in Detroit and Minneapolis. The dog was delayed in Detroit, so Delta put the pet in a kennel overnight. Schlaich was told the dog was fine and would be put on plane to Boise on Sunday.
The struggle for Schlaich did not end here. He told KTVB that when he went to pick up his new pet from the Delta cargo area on Sunday, the wrong dog was there to greet him. The canine Schlaich was presented with was actually the other puppy meant for another Boise family. Schlaich’s dog was not there, and the airline didn’t have an immediate answer for where the dog was.
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“We went for a couple of hours not really knowing where this dog was,” Schlaich said to KTVB. “We didn’t really know how it would be taken care of at the boarding facility. The dog has been in a crate for two days and it’s an 8-week-old puppy.”
Delta told CNN the puppy was periodically let out of its kennel during the delay and was given food and water. The airline also told CNN that the puppy was misrouted and separated from the other dog in Minneapolis. Schlaich’s dog somehow ended up on a plane to Las Vegas, and it was then sent on a flight to Salt Lake City before finally ending up safely in Boise. In the same statement, Delta apologized for the incident and said it has issued Schlaich a refund for the shipping costs and is reviewing the pet transport procedure.
Delta has not responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment regarding this incident.
This story is just the latest in a slew of airline dog drama. United has sent several pets to the wrong locations as well, including a Kansas City-bound dog that ended up in Japan and a canine that was put on the wrong plane leaving Newark airport, causing the flight to be rerouted.
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