American Airlines Responds To Facebook Pressure To Find Passenger's Cat Lost At JFK

(Jack)

American Airlines is scrambling to show the public that employees are working hard to find a cat they lost at JFK... after the kitty's distraught owner launched a social media campaign. Last Thursday Karen Pascoe and her two cats went to JFK for a flight to San Fransisco, where Pascoe was relocating for a new job. After clearing security, she bid goodbye to her two pets as the American Airlines handler was putting the plastic ties around the kennel door. But before boarding her flight, she got a call that one of her cats was missing. On the Facebook page Jack The Cat is Lost in AA Baggage at JFK, she writes (in the third person):

[Karen] began working with Valerie Latty from Customer Service who took me to inbound baggage claim where Jack was lost. Inbound baggage claim is a HUGE area... and Jack was nowhere to be seen. After checking for over an hour (missing flight 177 and being re-booked onto flight 17), she boarded the later flight, assured that they would call her as soon as Jack was found.
Karen was given the following number to contact American Airlines at Central Baggage Service: 972-425-6565. She has left several messages and has not yet been contacted by anyone in that office. She was also told by Valerie Latty that she would receive a proactive call from Customer Service on Friday.

For three days, she heard nothing, and repeated calls to her contacts in Customer Service and the baggage claim area went unanswered. When she finally got someone on the phone, she was told they "had not yet been able to get humane traps." The manager also told Pascoe that "the last time this happened, it took about a month to find the cat." Increasingly desperate, she started the Twitter hashtag #findjackthecat and the Facebook page, which has 1,400 likes. This got American Airlines' attention, and the airline now has a statement about the search for Jack front and center on its Facebook page:

We repeat our apologies for the upset caused by this situation, and wanted to share an update in our efforts to find Jack:
* American has offered Jack’s owner, Karen, a flight to New York to personally visit the JFK operation and help assist with search efforts.
* American has consulted with the Mayor’s Alliance Society for NYC to set up Have-A-Heart humane traps that are being placed throughout the area.
* Food and water has been placed around the operation since Thursday.
* If Jack feels comfortable returning to his kennel, we have placed food and water inside as well.
* Employees, including the American Airlines Managing Director in JFK, have walked the entire operation in search.
* All airside equipment, such as bag carts are being inspected.
* The Port Authority of New York has been contacted with information and posters. They are fully cooperating in the search and distributing posters to other businesses on the airport property.
* AA has placed posters in employee break-rooms, on the ramp, and throughout our JFK facility.
* An alert is being placed on electronic bulletin boards visible to all employees from all departments.
* “Vet Port” has been alerted and is supporting the effort. Vet Port is a veterinary service used by airlines and business local to the airport property where a lost pet would be turned in.
* Access from the airside ramp area leading into the terminal building are being inspected and monitored.

We will continue searching, and as soon as we have any more information, we will share it with the community.

Most commenters on the AA Facebook wall have reacted scornfully to the airline's belated damage control. "Glad that finally AA is doing something to find the poor cat, although sad that it took media coverage for them to finally react," writes Lyda Zambrano. "In 2004 AA left my cat stranded for hours at the Miami airport and nobody noticed that he was still in the luggage area instead of inside the plane to Dallas. I spent 5 hours on the phone trying to locate him and finally they realize that they have left my cat behind. That was the last time I flew with AA now I only fly my cat with Continental. All these issues could have been avoided if AA would allow pets in the cabin."

We reached out to Pascoe to see if she would take American Airlines up on the offer to come search for Jack, whom she rescued from the NYCACC several years ago. We'll update as we know more! [Via The NY Observer]

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on August 30, 2011 10:44 AM

Comments [rss]

Elderta2

Did they ever find Jack?

Marjorie Dawson

Thank you very much for this update. American Airlines should be greatly shamed by the fact they need public pressure to find someone they lost - be it animal or human - and that this news has spread around the globe.

Ghandi once said that we should judge a nation by how it treats its animals, I am deeply grateful I know enough Americans who DO love their animals to realise that the USA is not reflected in the policies and actions displayed by American Airlines.

I HAVE CAT

Thank you so much for posting about Jack. The upsetting thing is that for FIVE days they did not do ANYTHING to help find Jack. It took the public outcry on social media that finally got picked up by mainstream media outlets to get them to pay attention. For FIVE DAYS they did not look at the tapes, get a tracking dog or even have humane traps out! I truly hope they find that sweet cat. I also find it ridiculous when people feel we have to chose between caring about humans and animals. No one said people aren't important. We just feel our 4-legged babies are too! Looking for Jack doesn't mean we AREN"T caring for victims of the hurricane etc. Tamar - Single in the city, with cat (s)http://www.ihavecat.com

Judy

KAREN,

Consider other ideas if he isn't found yet. Such as unlikely ones, i.e. he actually flew to San Fran and nobody knew it inside the cargo bay of the plane...he could well be inside the body of a plane and that is why he hasn't been found because maybe nobody thinks to look there. Cats are pretty sneaky and when they want to hide it is a challenge to find them. If someone calls him, he might only respond to YOUR voice Karen, not to someone else, especially if he is frightened.

Margo

Screw you Chadd Dorkins. There's not a reaon on earth to not be allowed to have pets on planes, easiest gd#mn thing in the world is to have 2 rows as pet friendly. If you put them in the back of the plane no whinybaby crying about allergies will be bothered and only someone totally braindead would think Ms. Zambrano was acting like "the only important person in the world". The fact that you actually got that idea from her simple post shows YOU as the narcissistic pig piece of garbage you are. In fact, YOU should fly cargo because I'm pretty sure sitting anywhere near you would make everyone puke.

Christy Sullivan

It is terrible that AA did not start looking for Jack till they got bad media from the incident..Now they are doing what they should have been doing the in the first hour that Jack was missing who knows how far away he could be by now especially with the circumstances of the hurricane. A animal is a family member to most people . Would AA have acted so callous if it was a child missing...I think not...lets hope Jack get home to his Mom safe and sound..

A Prizant

I have traveled on AA with my cat in the cabin several times (once with two cats). Not to excuse their actions in this case--just stating a fact. I can understand the despair Pascoe is going through and I feel for her!

soothsayer

http://gothamist.com/2011/08/1... Port Authority decided to euthanize thousands of cats that roamed JFK Airport's property in 2008.

Chadd Derkins

I agree with Lyda Zambrano. In fact, it's really obnoxious that airlines don't clear the plane entirely of other passengers when she boards. As the only important person in the world, I don't think it's too much for her to expect that kind of treatment from the airlines.

Lyda Zambrano

Thanks Chadd for realizing that I am the most important person in the world. You are absolutely right, airlines should clear the plane from obnoxious people like you before I board. The fact that my simple, innocent comment created such reaction absolutely proves the importance of my opinion. As obviously you have really poor reading comprehension, let me explain it to you I was commenting on the bad AA pet policies, and what I said is that all these problems could be avoided if they allow pets only in the cabin area and not in cargo, just like many other airlines do. If you still do not understand my comment I can suggest you to take ESL classes as you obviously do not understand english.

Bob Moses

Motel 6 is one of the few motels where you can take an animal inside the room for a night. An airline should follow this model as it could lead to more business. If you have allergies just don't take that airline in the same way you probably shouldn't stay at a Motel 6.

Green_Idea_Factory

Motel 6 - and I think there are others - can have allergy-free rooms, much like (used to) have smoking rooms (don't they only have non-smoking rooms now?).

wonderchimp5

What I want is an airline that doesn't allow babies.

NYDirk

Or at least makes them fly in cargo.

Bye bye baby baby goodbye
Bye bye baby don't make me cry

lornagrl

American Airlines SUCK. I will never, ever EVER fly American Airlines. I would rather walk.

Hospital patient services

agreed only false committed services by the airlines

69GeorgeWBush69

One of the major plusses of social media is the effortless way you can shame corporations into doing what you've paid them to do when they try to screw you.

Story: I took a day off work due to the fact UPS was delivering a large appliance to my home. Around 2pm, I peak out of 3rd floor window and see the UPS truck pull up. The driver goes into the back of the truck and a minute later gets back into the driver's seat and pulls away with no attempt made to deliver my stuff. I was livid. I called their center in Maspeth and they just told me I had to wait until tomorrow. Then I made a few comments on UPS's Facebook page about what happened and how their service sucked balls. About an hour later I got a call saying my package was being delivered and soon after it came.

Sorailes

Ugh, I feel for you living in the Maspeth service zone. Those guys never deliver ANYTHING, no matter how much you stay home. It's truly amazing.

Unkle_Bob

Ummmm. How on earth do you even know that your appliance was on that particular truck?

69GeorgeWBush69

I was tracking the package online. Within 30mins of the driver leaving, the shipment status was changed from "out for delivery" to "1st attempt made" or something like that.