China Eastern Airlines has been showered in public criticism after tendering a controversial compensation offer for a pet owner whose dog died mysteriously on one of the airline's flights.
The dog, a 3-year-old golden retriever, was found dead after a flight from Shenzhen to Wuhan on June 11. According to its owner, surnamed Zuo, the dog appeared to be in extreme pain before its death, tearing up the barbed wire on its cage.
“The airline has yet to issue any official apology to me. They told me that the compensation will be based on the standard set for luggage, meaning that they can only pay me 100 RMB per kilogram. My dog is 35 kilograms, so they intend to give me 3,500 yuan in compensation. This is emotionally unacceptable to me, as my dog was like my child,” Zuo told Thecover.cn in a June 13 interview.
This is not the first time China Eastern Airlines has been criticized for its management of animal transportation. In May, an 11-month-old golden retriever on a China Eastern Airlines flight was shot over 50 times by local airport staff after it escaped from its cage and ran free on the apron.
“Negotiations between me and the airline are not done yet. I will demand an autopsy in order to find out the real cause of my dog's death,” said Zuo.
In addition to Zuo, the company’s compensation plan upset many netizens. The hashtag ”ChinaEasternAirlinesPayForDeathOfGoldenRetriever” on Sina Weibo had garnered over 2 million page views as of press time, with many calling the company inhumane and heartless.
In response to the incident and subsequent reactions, Chen Jun, a Beijing-based lawyer, told Thecover.cn that, as the current compensation standard was established in 2006, it is outdated and should be amended.
“Currently, regulations and laws regarding animal transportation are incomplete in China. Authorities should establish a new law to regulate the industry,” Chen said.