San Francisco man sues Alaska Airlines over death of French bulldog on flight from New York

Michael Contillo and his father took Contillo’s two French bulldogs, Ash and Kora, with them to New York. Three-year-old Ash died on the return trip to San Francisco, the lawsuit says.

A San Francisco man is suing Alaska Airlines, saying his dog died on a cross-country flight from New York after they were forced to move from first class to coach.

According to a lawsuit obtained by USA TODAY on Friday and filed in San Francisco County Superior Court last week, Michael Contillo and his father took Contillo’s two French bulldogs, Ash and Kora, on a two-month trip to New York.

The flight from San Francisco to New York in November 2023 went off without a hitch. But when they flew back to San Francisco in February, Ash died on the flight, the lawsuit says.

Alaska Airlines told USA TODAY on Friday that the company does not comment on litigation.

What happened on Alaska Airlines flight with French bulldogs?

Before departing for the East Coast, a veterinarian confirmed that both dogs were healthy enough to make the trip, the lawsuit says. For increased comfort for the dogs, Contillo bought two first-class tickets, according to the lawsuit.

Contillo and his father boarded the flight to San Francisco with the dogs in first class. But just before the flight was going to take off, the lawsuit says two airline workers, including a flight attendant, asked Contillo and his father to move with the dogs to coach.

Contillo said he argued that moving into a more crowded area of the plane could distress his dogs and that the pet carriers they were in were in compliance with airline policy. Contillo said he told the employees that his dogs could become anxious, which could lead to heart and breathing problems.

The workers “ignored everything that was said, and just repeated that he, his father, and the dogs have to move into coach at this point. Because the plane is about to take off, (Contillo) complied with the request,” according to the lawsuit.

A fatal flight for French bulldog

After the plane took off, Ash started having complications and began to “breathe very quickly and heavily, with noticeable anxiety,” according to the lawsuit, which says the dog was almost 4 years old.

Contillo tried to check on the dog by opening the dog carrier but alleges he was told by Alaska Airlines employees that the carrier had to be closed during the flight. The lawsuit says that Contillo saw that the dog had stopped moving but could not check on him until arriving in San Francisco.

By the time Contillo and his father got off the plane, “Ash’s body was entirely in rigor mortis,” the lawsuit says, adding that the men “immediately started to weep.”

Contillo is alleging negligence, emotional distress and a breach of contract against the airline in the lawsuit. No specific damages were listed in the suit, and it doesn’t mention whether an autopsy was conducted on Ash.

USA TODAY was reaching out to Contillo’s attorney to ask about whether an autopsy was conducted.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.