I was reading an MSN website news release, and it brought up a very important issue. Should you put pets on airplanes? I would not. The following article is by Sharon Theimer.

"WASHINGTON — Bulldog and pug owners, beware: Short-snouted breeds accounted for roughly half the purebred dog deaths on airplanes in the past five years, government data released Friday shows."

According to this article, there were 122 dog deaths in airplanes since May 2005. The dogs all were shipped as cargo when they died.

"English bulldogs account for the single highest number of deaths among the 108 purebreds on the list, 25. Pugs were next, with 11 deaths, followed by golden retrievers and Labradors, with seven deaths each, French bulldogs with six, and American Staffordshire terriers, four. Boxers, cockapoos, Pekingese and Pomeranians accounted for two deaths each."

How sad is that? It should never happen. Apparently the airlines do not have temperature control in the baggage part of a plane and do not let most dogs ride in the cabin with the guardian. Breeders wouldn't want to pay for a seat anyway.

I remember when my friend's daughter brought seven dogs from Arkansas to New Jersey by air. She was also on the same plane, but we had to go to the basement baggage department to pick them up. As each carrier came down a chute, the baggage man roughly put them on the ground. He only got away with it once, before I lit into him.

"These are live animals!" I shouted. "Do not treat them that way or I will go right to your boss."

He changed his behavior, but that was because we were right there.

"Short-nosed breeds — known as "brachycephalic" in the dog world — have a skull formation that affects their airways, said Dan Bandy of Shawnee, Okla., chairman of the Bulldog Club of America's health committee."

Dogs cool off mainly through breathing. A dog with a short nose cannot control the heat as much as a dog with a long nose. Mr. Bandy said that Labradors have a better way to cool. If that is the case why did the Labrador die?

"Sonny Seiler of Savannah, Ga., who owns the University of Georgia's mascot, Uga the bulldog, said people who fly English bulldogs are taking a risk. Seiler said that's why he takes precautions before flying his dogs. Before each Uga is a year old and flies for the first time, Seiler has a procedure done at the University of Georgia veterinary school to enlarge the dog's airways."

I guess the procedure is better than having Uga die, but I cannot imagine doing that. Another rotten way to exploit an innocent animal by making him fly to a football game. Why wouldn't a bulldog be allowed to have a seat? I guess U of Ga. is too cheap.

* * * I saw a CNN Anderson 360 that featured the poor dogs and cats given up because of the oil disaster in the Gulf. It was very moving and a wonderful thing for CNN to do. Many of the featured pets were adopted. But what always bothers me is this: Our shelters in New York State are packed with needy animals. There they are, right near by. If a pet gets on television, no matter where he is, right away thousands call and adopt. Why do people think southern pets need more homes than the sweet angels here? I just don't get it. If someone has room for a new pet, go to Middletown, Sullivan, Ulster, PetsAlive, Rondout Valley Animals for Adoption, or Walden Humane — not Louisiana. I think people want to brag that they saved a gulf coast dog!