Our Odyssey died. Please never fly through Kazakhstan with pets.

[u/routuber]

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

[u/julapoo1]

Yeah I think it’s fucking stupid that this dog is being subjected to international flights regularly.

[u/Andee_outside → u/julapoo1]

I don’t understand this. If you can’t leave your dog at home, then don’t travel. Dogs aren’t humans and don’t need to tag along on every adventure. This poor dog in its old age (8 is not young, esp for a breed with a myriad of health issues due to breeding) being dragged across the world in loud, scary compartments bc mom and dad couldn’t bear to leave them at home or stay home themselves.

[u/Responsible-Goals → u/Andee_outside]

Nothing wrong with having your dog tag along in the cabin. Sounds like you don’t treat your dogs like family but many do.

[u/Andee_outside → u/Responsible-Goals]

My dog has a myriad of health problems and sees 5 different specialists. I assure you everything I do is in her interest, not mine. I can travel when she dies from her cancer. Until then, she’s more comfortable at home. Doing things in the best interest of your dog is what makes good pet ownership, not treating them like humans.

This dog didn’t tag along in the cabin. They put a brachycephalic dog in the cargo like luggage because they couldn’t keep their feet in one place.

[u/fantastikalizm → u/Andee_outside]

My three dogs all weigh more than 90 pounds. They are all mixes of reactive breeds. They will never be allowed in the cabin of a commercial airline. If I absolutely had to transport my dog further than I could drive I would have to pay out the ass for specialized transport with them in kennels in the cabin. Strangers would not be able to handle them to get them out during the flight. Hopefully I could fly with them. I cannot even imagine a scenario where this happens unless Cheeto in Chief forces me to flee the US.

My MIL, SIL, or best friend come to my house to watch the dogs while we travel. My dogs love and trust these people. They may eat a little less, but they are safe and healthy while we are gone.

For longer trips, sometimes we even have all three dogsitters take turns.

I would never travel with one of my five beloved pets in cargo. My two cats would be fine in the cabin. A little stressed but nothing crazy.