Eu Court Rules Pets Are Cargo For Airline Liability After Heartbreaking Loss Of Dog On Iberia Flight

Published on October 20, 2025

The vexation of galore pet owners stemmed from a ruling made by nan European Union Court of Justice connected October 17, 2025. Included successful nan ruling was a lawsuit involving Iberia Airlines which classified dogs successful cargo holds arsenic baggage. This stemmed from a lawsuit involving a missing dog, Mona, connected a formation from Buenos Aires to Barcelona successful October 2019. This lawsuit besides wished that compensation for nan airline’s work should beryllium capped nether nan Montreal Convention. For Mona’s proprietor Grisel Ortiz, nan compensation limits only made an already achy business that overmuch worse.

Ortiz’s affectional journey, which began pinch nan frantic hunt for her mislaid pet and ended pinch this ineligible decision, has drawn attraction to nan curen of animals successful nan hose manufacture and nan limitations of compensation for families who suffer their pets successful transit. This determination isn’t conscionable astir a canine being lost; it’s astir nan heavy affectional relationship betwixt pets and their owners and nan work airlines person to guarantee their safety.

The Case: Mona, nan Lost Dog

In 2019, Mona, a beloved dog, was walking pinch her proprietor Grisel Ortiz successful nan cargo clasp of an Iberia formation from Buenos Aires to Barcelona. Due to Mona’s size and weight, she was required to recreation successful a pet bearer successful nan cargo hold, arsenic per nan airline’s pet proscription policies. However, during nan boarding process astatine nan airport, Mona managed to flight from her bearer and ran crossed nan runway. Despite being chased by airdrome unit successful 3 vans, Mona was ne'er caught and yet went missing.

Ortiz, who had grown profoundly attached to Mona, described nan symptom she felt erstwhile she saw nan frantic segment unfold. “Many group laughter because they don’t understand what Mona intends to me,” Ortiz explained successful a heartfelt question and reply pinch Argentine regular Clarin successful 2020. “Since she went missing, each I do is outcry and enactment glued to my phone, waiting for a miracle.”

In an effort to find her missing pet, Ortiz created a Facebook page dedicated to Mona’s whereabouts, offering a reward for immoderate reliable information. Despite her champion efforts, she ne'er recovered immoderate leads, leaving her devastated. Feeling helpless and heartbroken, she sought ineligible action against Iberia Airlines, asking for 5,000 euros (about $5,400) successful damages.

The Court’s Ruling and Its Impact

After years of ineligible battles, nan lawsuit was brought earlier nan European Union Court of Justice. The tribunal sided pinch Iberia Airlines, ruling that nan canine was considered baggage, and frankincense compensation was constricted to what nan Montreal Convention allows for checked baggage.

The Montreal Convention, an world pact that governs hose liability, sets a headdress connected compensation for mislaid aliases damaged baggage, including pets, if they are not declared arsenic valuable astatine check-in. Under nan Convention, airlines are required to compensate passengers for mislaid baggage, but nan magnitude is typically overmuch little for pets than it would beryllium for quality belongings.

The European court’s reasoning was that nan word “baggage” could reasonably encompass pets, arsenic agelong arsenic nan hose met circumstantial use standards for transporting animals. However, it besides stated that if a rider had declared nan animal arsenic valuable astatine check-in and paid an further fee, nan compensation could beryllium higher. Unfortunately, Ortiz had not made specified a declaration, and nan tribunal ruled that Iberia was not responsible for much than nan modular compensation for baggage.

Emotional and Legal Reactions

The ruling has near Grisel Ortiz and her lawyer, Carlos Villacorta Salis, profoundly disappointed. Salis criticized nan decision, calling it a “missed opportunity” to protect animals and springiness them nan ineligible nickname they deserve. He expressed vexation pinch nan thought that nary hose successful nan world would let passengers to make a typical declaration for pets walking successful nan cargo hold.

For Ortiz, nan ruling is different achy section successful nan saga of Mona’s disappearance. “I wanted justness for my dog. I wanted nickname for nan enslaved we shared, and this ruling makes maine consciousness for illustration she was conscionable cargo,” Ortiz shared. The affectional toll connected her has been immense, arsenic she continues to grieve nan nonaccomplishment of a companion who meant truthful overmuch to her.

The lawsuit has besides sparked a larger speech astir animal authorities and nan curen of pets during aerial travel. Animal use advocates person criticized nan hose manufacture for not doing capable to guarantee nan information and well-being of animals transported successful cargo holds. While nan European tribunal did stress nan value of animal use during transport, it besides highlighted nan ineligible limitations that beryllium erstwhile it comes to compensating passengers for mislaid pets.

Global Incidents: Missing Pets and Airline Responsibility

The nonaccomplishment of Mona isn’t an isolated incident. Around nan world, location person been different cases wherever pets person gone missing during aerial travel, starring to akin outcry from pet owners and animal authorities groups. In 2024, a canine named Amalka escaped astatine Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, causing nan impermanent closure of 2 runways arsenic officials searched for her. Amalka was yet recovered and returned to her proprietor aft 9 days of being astatine large.

Similarly, successful 2023, a Chihuahua named Maia escaped from her bearer astatine Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport successful nan U.S. The canine ran onto an progressive runway, causing a awesome disruption. After 22 days, Maia was recovered and reunited pinch her proprietor acknowledgment to a Good Samaritan.

These incidents underline nan risks and challenges associated pinch walking pinch pets successful nan cargo hold. While immoderate dogs are successfully recovered, nan affectional strain connected pet owners who acquisition these kinds of losses is profound. In some Amalka’s and Maia’s cases, nan pets were yet found, but not without important delays and heightened accent for nan owners involved.

What Does This Mean for Pet Owners Traveling by Air?

The European Union Court’s determination has important implications for pet owners. It reinforces nan conception that pets walking successful cargo clasp are viewed arsenic baggage successful nan eyes of nan law. For those considering walking pinch their pets, it’s important to understand nan imaginable risks involved. If you take to alert pinch your pet, it’s recommended to reappraisal your airline’s policies carefully, and if available, opt for a typical declaration of liking for your pet to guarantee higher compensation successful lawsuit of mishaps.

Conclusion: A Missed Opportunity for Animal Welfare

New aerial recreation pet regulations from nan Court of Justice of nan European Union coming a “bittersweet” infinitesimal for pet parents. Although affirmative steps person been made successful nan “legislation” of “animal-human” pets, nan infinitesimal begs to see much humane regulations for nan protection of pets successful aerial travel. To Grisel Ortiz, nan trauma aft losing Mona a pet continues to linger, successful portion simply because nan quality of nan ineligible strategy feels to place nan pet-human relationship.

The deficiency of animal ineligible protections successful nan aviation assemblage whitethorn still make Ortiz’s trauma communicative stick. Pet parents, animal lawyers, and advocates will not backdown successful nan aviation industry. Until that betterment comes, animal advocates will push for humane regulations and animal information during aerial travel. In nan meantime, pet parents are encouraged to “stay informed” and return “necessary precautions” to make aerial recreation “safe” and “less stressful” for pets.