Delta Airlines gave $1,800 to a woman after losing her dog.
The New York Post reports that the dog went missing at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. On Aug. 18, the owner Paula Rodriguez was flying to San Francisco via Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. That’s when she was separated from her dog, Maia. When she arrived in Atlanta, US Customs and Border Patrol detained her because she lacked the proper visa credentials.
She wasn’t allowed to enter the US and was forced to stay in a detention center overnight. She couldn’t get her dog back until the next day when she flew back to the Dominican Republic. Delta said it would keep an eye on Maia in the meantime.
However, the next day, Rodriguez found out her dog was missing, and that she wouldn’t be allowed to search for her dog at the Atlanta airport because of US regulations. So she got on her flight hoping that Delta would locate Maia and put her on a flight as well.
“She’s been missing for more than 72 hours in the biggest airport in the United States,” Rodriguez told Atlanta News First on Aug. 22. “Without food, without water, she must be scared.”
According to CBS correspondent David Begnaud, Rodriguez’s attorney said the $1,800 was an “insult.” He also shared that the woman’s mother went to Atlanta to help look for the dog but didn’t find her in the airport or shelters.
"Delta people have shown empathy through many actions, gestures, and communications with our customer. That continues," a Delta rep said in a statement. "As this matter is being handled by attorneys representing the customer and Delta, we will point out that what our customer is sharing is one portion of an initial conversation between attorneys and not reflective of an offer of compensation."
"Delta remains heartbroken for what this customer is going through but will refrain from making further comment on this matter," the rep continued, and said that the $1,800 is not "offer of compensation."
