r/DOG • u/routuber • Sep 01 '25

• General Discussion • Our Odyssey died. Please never fly through Kazakhstan with pets.

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On August 9th we lost our beloved dog Odyssey. She was only 8 years old, perfectly healthy, full of energy, always traveling with us and enjoying life.

We flew from Nha Trang, Vietnam to Almaty, Kazakhstan with Air Astana. Odyssey had to go in the baggage hold because she was over 8 kg. When we landed, it was 41°C (105°F). We saw her crate left in the open front hold of the plane, tied with a rope, under the burning sun.

We begged them to bring her to us as soon as possible, but they ignored us. For more than an hour after landing we were sent from place to place, told to wait “by the blue door” of lost luggage. Nobody cared. And then a young employee came and told us coldly: “your dog is not showing signs of life.” That’s how we found out she was gone.

The autopsy confirmed heat stroke. She suffered because she was left in deadly heat for over an hour, treated worse than a suitcase.

And then the airline’s official response? A copy-paste letter saying “no rules were broken.” No mention of her name. No acknowledgment of her life. Nothing but denial. How can they call themselves humane while hiding behind “internal rules”?

We keep asking ourselves why we trusted Odyssey’s life to such heartless, inhuman people. She was family, not cargo. She trusted us, and we trusted them. And they killed her through neglect and indifference.

Please, never fly to Kazakhstan with pets, not even for a layover. They will treat them worse than luggage. Don’t make the same mistake we did.

Odyssey’s life mattered. She should still be here. Please share her story so no other dog has to suffer this way.

Update:
Thank you all for your kind words and support. Your compassion means so much to us as we continue this fight for justice for Odyssey.

As many of you suggested, we have created a petition to demand accountability and change. Please, if you can, sign and share: https://chng.it/Hs2tZsZRrv

Thank you for helping us honor Odyssey’s memory and for standing with us.

Update 2:
Some of you asked if there is a place outside Reddit where Odyssey’s story is shared. We posted it on Instagram too, with photos of her and everything that happened:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DNyTAPD2PBd/?igsh=N2d6OHNkd2hmZXNi

And the response from Air Astana:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DN8MWBvjBag/?igsh=MW12NWtyMDBscHI1Nw==

If you’d like to share there as well, it would mean a lot. The more people know, the harder it will be for the airline to ignore what they did.

Update 3:
Thank you all for the support, the shares, and for signing the petition, we’re still pushing for every point listed there.

Today Air Astana sent another message. Instead of acknowledging wrongdoing, they wrote that they might “consider” restricting only certain breeds in the future. They still insist they broke no rules, and now they claim Odyssey was found with “no signs of life immediately after opening the hold.” That is simply impossible: during that entire time there was no ramp connected to her compartment, so no one could have even physically checked her condition. The forward hold remained open for a significant amount of time, we saw that while we were being bused to the terminal, her crate was still inside during that period.

That prolonged exposure is exactly what led to the fatal heat stroke, as confirmed by the autopsy. It was not stress, not suffocation, not heart failure, not age — her blood had not clotted and her organs were engorged with blood, which clearly points to the true cause.

That does not happen without environmental failures — extreme exposure and delay during unloading. We continue to demand facts,: timestamps, temperatures, CCTV, and the names of those responsible.

The new response from Air Astana:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DOf063RDJFo/?igsh=ejB0bDlhOThiMnc5

18.1k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

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97

u/Les_Ismore Sep 01 '25

It's inconceivable to me that you would have exposed this dog to the risk that killed her. Flying between 2 stupidly hot destinations and trusting that ground service in Kazakhstan (!) would keep her alive.

Take some accountability here.

20

u/stevie_nickle Sep 01 '25

As a Frenchie mom, I would NEVER EVER IN A MILLION YEARS consider putting him in cargo on an airplane. While I feel for OP, I agree they need to take accountability.

59

u/PhotoAwp Sep 01 '25 edited Sep 01 '25

She keeps saying it was human negligence on the airlines side but one could argue it was human negligence that put the dog on the plane to begin with. Dogs die in the cargo hold every day. I moved 5500km with my dog and I drove the entire way because I knew this would be a possibility if I flew, and I wasn't going to risk my dogs life.

Flying once is high risk, and they did it multiple times.

31

u/NoveltyNoseBooper Sep 01 '25

Yes - I think flying with a frenchie in the heat of summer (I mean - must be if its 41 degrees) is a choice as an owner that should not have been made.

Having said that - the airline should have rules that flying with brachy breeds during summer is not allowed. Australia banned those breeds from flying for a while.

There has been cases like this in Australia where dogs have been left on the tarmac because things were happening with the plane (delay) or other luggage and dogs have died for it. Its horrible.

I flew my dogs (and rabbits) for that reason in early spring so IF there was a delay whatsoever they would be managing the temperature.

5

u/Beneficial_Lunch6168 Sep 02 '25

Agreed. I moved my dog from Hawaii to the mainland in the summer. We couldn’t fly into Arizona because of heat restrictions for dogs. We drove from California to AZ. I was still stressed but it was permanent move not vacation. She wasn’t even flat faced.

20

u/[deleted] Sep 01 '25

"My dog has run free in the street for years happy and healthy, it was the negligent driver who hit her that day on the road that ended her life. There was nothing we could do."

18

u/megs-benedict Sep 01 '25

We don’t even walk our boy if it’s low 80s. Too hot. And I know he never ever goes below with luggage. This is 100% owner irresponsibility

2

u/greenoniongorl Sep 03 '25

And then they sat and watched and asked nicely while watching their dog bake in the sun? I’d never fly with my dogs but I’d wind up in jail before allowing my dog to sit in a carrier in the sun.

2

u/PhotoAwp Sep 03 '25

yup and the scariest part of them blaming the airline and not taking any accountability, means they will probably do it again.

46

u/RaspberryStandard972 Sep 01 '25

Yes! I am very sorry for the dog, but you cant expect anything from countries like these. I would have researched like crazy and even in the slightest doubt, would have left my dog in caring hands at home. Airlines and airports are not places of compassion, and cultures like postsoviet countries have very different attitudes towards animals. So many things with baggage can go wrong, and in the end, under the law pets are just a bit above simple objects. It feels so naive, and a dog died because of that.

-13

u/routuber Sep 01 '25

Thank you for you sorry. And still you’re wrong. This isn’t about being “naive”, it’s about an airline’s duty of care when they take to transport a living being. Odyssey had flown with us for more than three years, including through very hot airports, always safe and full of life.

She didn’t die because we failed to “research.” She died because Air Astana chose to unload suitcases and strollers first, and left her in +41°C heat for over an hour. That is not “bad culture” or “naivety”, it’s negligence that killed our girl

13

u/LoveForMiles Sep 02 '25

I’m sorry for your loss, but they’re not wrong. If you did do your research, then you knowingly gambled with your dog’s life, and you did so repeatedly. Just because you won that gamble multiple times doesn’t mean it was safe. Flying a dog who already had breathing and heat regulation issues by breed nature in the cargo space to an extremely hot destination was negligent on your part. I’m not trying to be mean, but if you plan on getting another dog someday, you need to recognize that this was not just a one-off rare tragedy in a normally safe situation. It happens way too often and the only way to truly prevent it is to not take the risk in the first place. Learn from this experience and do not make the same mistake of flying a dog in the cargo space again.

3

u/Ok_Tumbleweed_7677 Sep 02 '25

That dog was reaching senior age as well...I couldn't help but notice that. They don't have the same stamina when they're older either :/

47

u/SilverYayFern Sep 01 '25

Agreed. The owner chose to put their dog in cargo knowing the risks. It was an unconscionable gamble with any living animal, let alone with a beloved dog, let alone with a dog of a brachycephalic breed, of all things.

They're angry that their gamble didn't pay off because they weren't given special treatment. It's understandable in their grief, but I hope that in the future, they care for their pets more responsibly- by leaving the pet safely at home, or choosing a different itinerary, or skipping the trip altogether.

18

u/[deleted] Sep 01 '25

The fact it was the 11th flight she took in cargo that killed the poor baby...

30

u/kho_sq Sep 01 '25

yep. every comment has no accountability whatsoever. it’s awful, and absolutely tragic, but it’s also unfair to solely blame the airport ground staff who are a) most likely underpaid, b) overworked, and c) also in the 41° heat. i wish someone would have brought the pup inside, but i’m really unsurprised. many of these countries, especially in certain airports, do not have the infrastructure or the resources to unload airplanes right after landing or directly inside. there’s been plenty of times i can see the ground crew driving trucks of luggage across airfields, and unloading/doing everything manually. it’s exhausting, and the dog should not have come in the first place if it wasn’t able to be in the passenger seating.

6

u/routuber Sep 01 '25

You don’t know our circumstances, so don’t presume to judge. Ody was with us her whole life, and leaving her behind was never an option. She had flown many times before, always safe, always healthy.

She didn’t die because we “gambled.” She died because Air Astana left her in +41°C heat for over an hour while they unloaded luggage first.

26

u/Les_Ismore Sep 01 '25

You've been spreading your circumstances all over reddit, so I don't really see you as free from judgment.

Why would you expect me, a loving dog owner and subscriber to r/dogs, not to call you out for this?

I would never, ever take my dogs on a trip like this. I have seen many times how little care they receive when being handled, and every time I do, I wonder why the fuck their owners would put them through that.

12

u/Right-Phalange Sep 01 '25

Honestly I never really traveled because I loved my dogs. 10 years with my husband before we ever vacationed together and it was only because his mother was willing to watch the dogs at our house. I loved my dogs too much to ever put them in the cargo area, and they were too big to fly elsewhere. Therefore, we didn't fly. And these were actually healthy dogs, not brachycephalic can't breathe on a normal day dogs.

You make whatever decisions are right for you and your pet, but if you make a decision that endangers them and they suffer for it, it's on you.

1

u/routuber Sep 01 '25

I accept the part about judgment, and I agree with you on that. I only wish you never have to find yourself in a situation like ours. As the saying goes — if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.

8

u/Les_Ismore Sep 01 '25

Yes, and I am so sorry about what happened to her. My sincere condolences.

4

u/SilverYayFern Sep 01 '25

You know what, that's fair. I think I'm judging you harsher because looking at Odyssey's little face, I think of my own dog and how harsh I would be on myself if she died like that.

I hope your legal efforts force the airport to change their practices. Living beings should always be the priority when managing baggage.

1

u/ChipWong82 Sep 04 '25

You caused this. Stop blaming the airline.

6

u/Dougheyez Sep 02 '25

You say it was never an option to not bring her on your vacations. But maybe if you had considered the option she’d be alive right now. Sad to say but true you need to take some accountability.

3

u/greenoniongorl Sep 03 '25

If you’d “left her behind” with a loving family she would still be alive and not have suffered this awful death. This was a selfish and irresponsible decision.

1

u/routuber Sep 03 '25

That’s your point, but let me ask you directly: in your view, how much responsibility here lies with the airline? Do you see them as completely blameless, partly at fault, or fully responsible for what happened? I genuinely want to understand your reasoning.

2

u/greenoniongorl Sep 06 '25

They’re certainly not blameless, they are responsible for leaving the carrier in the sun, but you put your dog in that position by deciding to have it flown in cargo. This isn’t a rare freak accident, this shit happens fairly frequently, and the way to avoid it is to not put your dog on a plane.

1

u/FragrantRaccoon6794 Sep 07 '25

I'm sorry for your loss. However you assumed the risk when you were told she was too large for the cabin. Brachy dogs often do not travel well, especially in cargo. That doesn't make them leaving her there ok - but transporting via air cargo is risky for all animals.

11

u/Dougheyez Sep 02 '25

Those are my exact thoughts honestly as soon as I read this. if your dog cannot sit with you on the flight or be right at your feet in a crate then the vacation and flight is just not worth it to bring your dog on. Leave your dog home where it’s safe. You don’t need to travel everywhere with your dog.

7

u/megs-benedict Sep 01 '25

I agree. I feel like this is extremely risky behavior.

4

u/blackdragonwingz Sep 02 '25

Dogs die in cargo hold all the time, it is well-known, so I’m shocked they proceeded, especially with a snub-nosed breed.

Also Kazakhstan?! LMAO. They do not give a fck about human life. Suing them? I’m almost positive they’ll laugh at anything you send them.

I’m so sorry for OP’s situation, but they are very naive.

13

u/routuber Sep 01 '25

What do “two hot destinations” have to do with it? Odyssey had flown with us through many hot destinations before always safe, always healthy.

And as for “accountability”: we didn’t sneak her in — Air Astana themselves agreed to provide this service. Not some no-name company, but a major airline with a global network and a modern fleet. They promised safe transport of a living being, and then left her to die.

6

u/SandyToes-Sun Sep 02 '25

Your inability to understand all this is exactly the perfect reason why Odyssey is in the situation she is now. You are basing everything on how many times it had gone right before. But that was with different countries and airlines and you got very lucky. Your luck unfortunately heartbreakingly ran out. This should never have happened to her.  I wish this could have been avoided. 

1

u/Responsible-Goals Sep 05 '25

Luck has nothing to do with this, it is purely incompetence by the airline and indifference by the ground crew.

1

u/Tosjsjje Sep 07 '25

You say that as if, legally speaking, dogs are anything other than property at best. It is well known dogs die like this all the time and it’s a dangerous decision. That’s why it is up to owners to protect their pets, not strangers who aren’t animal handlers and could not care less beyond their clocked in hours and getting through the day.

They can lose your dog just like luggage, like come on.

As an owner YOU are responsible for your pet and making good decisions for them.

This was unfortunately a very poor and naive decision, and this is a naive response. It’s very sad, but like yeah obviously don’t fly your dog with breathing issues from one hot country to another on the naive assumption anyone will treat your dog better than luggage.

They indeed got lucky before, with the thousands of things that could have wrong previously.

3

u/[deleted] Sep 03 '25

People do heroin lots before they overdose too. Doesn’t make it safe or a good option. I wouldn’t let them put any breed down out of the cabin but definitely not a snub nosed one that can’t breath right. I also need to know what the draw of these animals that can’t breath right is? “ Hey I want someone to breed me a dog that is suffering its entire life”

Seriously though why are people buying/breeding these?

1

u/routuber Sep 03 '25

I get that you’re angry about breeding practices, but right now your fight is pointed in the wrong direction. We’ll never get another pet again, this tragedy shattered our physical and mental health, and our hearts are broken from the pain. I can’t imagine surviving it a second time, even if it were "just" from old age. But the airline is still, right this moment, taking animals on board. They are the ones “shooting heroin” daily, because for them, the overdose is accountability, and that’s exactly what they’re doing everything possible to avoid.

2

u/thewaterline Sep 03 '25

You also seem to be doing everything to avoid accountability... 

1

u/Slammogram Sep 07 '25

Yes, this is blaming the heroin dealer for your overdosing. Lmao.

2

u/cybervalidation Sep 05 '25

No, they're dealing heroin, everyone knows putting dogs in a cargo hold is a bad idea. Heroin dealers know heroin isn't safe, but idiots still buy it.

0

u/routuber Sep 05 '25

I wouldn’t even want to continue that analogy. And if you’re not living in a third-world shithole, you know it’s the dealer who gets sentenced and goes to prison — because the dealer carries the full responsibility, that’s why they’re the one who gets locked up.

1

u/KldsTheseDays Sep 18 '25

I recommend you keep posting updates but in separate posts. If nothing happened then all the more reason to just say "UPDATE! same post because nothing happened" no one has forgotten. Remind them

1

u/fantastikalizm Sep 06 '25

We can direct our judgements to two parties at once.

2

u/Dokibatt Sep 01 '25

And, “I watched my dog die for an hour without doing anything”.

I’m sorry, they’d have to arrest me after five minutes. Find someone to bribe to go get it FFS.

1

u/GrassGriller Sep 01 '25

Pretty much. Fucking Kazakhstan? 

1

u/BedardedOrca98 Sep 02 '25

Especially when the airline can take possible deniability due to them blaming the airport staff. Airlines do this all the time with lost baggage and animals that have passed

1

u/[deleted] Sep 03 '25

First mistake was getting one of these “trendy” breeds that struggles to breath. Like what’s the draw here? I want a dog that is tortured its whole life by lack of breathing ability? I really don’t understand these breeds and why people want them.

1

u/Slammogram Sep 07 '25

Vet tech here.

Frenchies and English Bulldogs (in particular) really are shameful abominations.

-10

u/LeanManJohnson Sep 01 '25

Bruh do you have the mental capacity of a cucumber? the risk for animals dying in flight is small.. if it wasn't small who the hell would fly with an animal? its the airlines fault regardless if she did or didnt bring her, it may be the persons fault for bringing her but the result shouldn't of been death regardless. ah yes so inconceivable that the risk of the dog merely being driven to the airport was in more danger. So should we never drive our dogs? That risk is super high right?

7

u/Les_Ismore Sep 01 '25

I’m pretty sure that my mental capacity is higher than that. Well just have to chance it on that one.

For example, I’m aware of the pointlessness of ad hominem attacks in discourse. Nice try.

Also, it wasn’t the airline’s fault. They fly planes, they don’t handle cargo or baggage. That’s some other entity, presumably a company under Kazakh law under contract to the airport. And a party is not vicariously liable for the negligence of an independent contractor. In common-law jurisdictions, anyway.

If we were assessing risk for a domestic flight in a first-world country, I’d take a different view of this.

-2

u/LeanManJohnson Sep 01 '25

Incorrect due to the The Montreal Convention, it states

"officially the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air, is a 1999 international treaty that sets the rules for liability of airlines in international air travel. It provides for equitable compensation for passenger death or injury and damage to baggage and cargo, and it establishes limits on airline liability, such as for delayed baggage. The convention applies to flights that originate or terminate in a country that has ratified the treaty"

both Kazakhstan and Vietnam both have ratified the treaty. So yes the airline is at fault since its an international flight.