‘Cargo’: Heartbreak at dog’s death on flight

A family’s new life in Australia has been haunted by a “shadow” as they grieve their beloved dog that died after being left on an airport tarmac without water for hours.

Jon Magnall and Julie Hay know their rescue greyhound Matilda was perfectly healthy before boarding the Singapore Airlines flight from London, as she had gone through months of pre-travel testing and vaccinations.

After months of back-and-forth with the airline, and finding they have little recourse, the couple want to warn other pet owners their animals will be treated “like cargo”.

“We feel that we need to just shed a light on that and make people aware that if the worst happens that there will be nobody to blame for it,” Ms Hay said.

Matilda, a five-year-old “failed racer”, was adopted by the family from a charity in their home country of the UK.

“She didn’t really have the chase instinct. She got on very well with our cats and our older daughters,” Mr Magnall said.

“She was a very gentle, gentle dog and everybody loved her. She was part of our lives, and our ideas (for the move).”

The couple had thought for years about leaving the UK and eventually settled on Australia, leaving in January 2023 with visions of their dog being able to zoom around a big backyard.

But Matilda never made it to her new home after an incident that devastated her owners and left them searching for answers.

They’ve since learned when their flight stopped over in Singapore after 13 hours in the air, the six litres of water that should have been in Matilda’s crate was empty.

After the stress of travelling in the plane’s cargo hold, the greyhound was then left in an enclosed space on the tarmac for up to two hours with no water in tropical conditions.

Matilda died soon after being brought into the airport’s quarantine zone, with her cause of death being attributed to heatstroke.

The couple from the UK knew there were risks associated with international travel for pets. However, they believe Matilda might still be here if more attention was paid to her.

The sense of grief and guilt they feel is palpable 18 months on, with the couple breaking down while remembering the moment they learned Matilda’s fate.

“She was in the prime of her life,” Mr Magnall said.

“If we hadn’t decided to come or if she’d have been given the water or spent less time in the sunshine on the tarmac, maybe she’d still be here.

“I’m sure anybody who’s had pets understands the grief that comes with losing a pet.

“But when you’ve lost them because of actions that you’ve taken (moving), it’s difficult to describe the guilt that you feel for putting them through that experience.”

Singapore Airlines confirmed the January 11, 2023 incident saying Matilda “passed away while it was being transferred to the aircraft at Singapore Changi Airport”.

“We wish to express our sincere condolences to the owners,” a spokesperson said.

“Singapore Airlines conducted a thorough investigation following this unfortunate incident and can confirm that all the details of the transport were carried out in accordance with the IATA regulations for the transport of animals.

“We continue to reassess our ground handling procedures to ensure that all animals travel safely including while in transit in Singapore.”

The airline has also since introduced strict measures to prevent similar incidents occurring in the future.

The measures include examining animals after being loaded at the point of departure to ensure they are not in distress and water sources are full before the aircraft doors are closed.

There has also been additional water sources and better space added around animals while in transit in Singapore.

Lawyer Amy Dartnall said there was little avenue for people to pursue compensation for the death of their pets in transit unless they have significant financial value such as a purebreed or racing animal.

“The way the law is at the moment, there is no mechanism for getting compensation for the role that the pet played in your life, and the distress that you feel as a family by having them taken away too soon,” she said.

“So legally, there’s not much that people in Jon and Julie’s position can do.”

The family now live in Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges and have been volunteering as foster carers for the Lost Dogs Home in Cranbourne.

“I mean, (Matilda’s death) has been a significant chunk of our emotional lives for the last 18 months,” Mr Magnall said.

“It’s the kind of thing that as I say, the guilt is the worst thing.

“But otherwise, Australia is fabulous. I mean, we’re living surrounded by parrots and spinebills and we’ve got marsupials in the garden. That side of it is amazing.”

Ms Hay said it was still difficult to accept not seeing Matilda around the home — where he feels there is now a “shadow all the time”.

“We bought all our furniture with us and every time we see the sofa and she’s not on it -literally every day, we miss her.”

They have started a GoFundMe to raise money for animal charities they have been involved with in Australia.

“Given that we’ve been we’ve failed miserably to get anything of any value from Singapore Airlines then we thought that this might be the best way for us to give something in memory of Matilda,” the page reads.

Mr Magnall said he and Julie wanted to share their story as a warning for other owners to do their research before choosing an international airline or route.

“If we can stop it happening to one other family then it’s worthwhile.”