A dog has been left on medication and her owner says she has been traumatized after she was accidentally flown to Saudi Arabia. Bluebell was supposed to be flown from London to Nashville, Tennessee, but ended up 7,000 miles away in the Gulf state.
Her owners say staff at IAG Cargo on a British Airways flight loaded her onto the wrong plane, and for several hours they feared she was lost for good, reports The Mirror.
They eventually found the five-year-old dog in Riyadh. She was flown back to London Heathrow and then on to the USA, spending 60 hours in cargo.
Owners Madison and James Miller say Bluebell has been traumatised by the ordeal and has caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to their home since returning to them.
James, 27, said: “We simply cannot leave her alone. We did everything right moving Bluebell to America with us, and it’s been an absolute nightmare. The first time we tried to leave her at home alone after the ordeal she ripped through her kennel in the first 10 minutes.
"The next time she chewed through a wooden door crying the whole time. So now we can’t leave her - she could harm herself. Being apart from us is too traumatic for her.
“We’re working closely with a vet team and behaviourist to help calm her anxiety, and she’s on anxiety medication three times a day. But we don’t know if she’ll ever be the same. It’s breaking our hearts.”
Madison and James only realised something had gone wrong when they arrived in the US and went to the pick-up point to collect Bluebell. Aviation officials told the couple that Bluebell had not arrived.
"They were unwilling to fly Bluebell directly back to her family in Nashville," Madison said, adding that Bluebell instead "endured three long-haul international flights".
She added: "We asked for signs of life because at first they didn't know if it was her in Saudi Arabia.
"It was hell on earth. She's family. The absolute horror that I felt, I can't put it into words. I was so worried she was going to die in transit or I'd never been able to find her again."
While Bluebell made it back they say the "real hell" began following their reunion.
Madison says the hound has been left "traumatised" (Image: Maddison Miller)
"It's been a 24/7 ordeal, she cries in the night and during the day," Madison said. "It has broken our hearts as her parents. She is our family and we let her down.
"We've paid £2,460 for a behaviourist, and she takes anxiety medication three times a day. I'm afraid of the costs of this. They'll be wracking up hard and fast."
The couple are also having to pay for a new door, crate and backpack after Bluebell destroyed them in a fit of anxiety.
"I don't know when this nightmare will end for us," Madison said. An IAG Cargo spokesperson said: “We are very sorry for the recent error that occurred during Bluebell’s trip to Nashville.
"We can confirm that she was on the first flight back and that every dog that travels long-haul with transfers will be checked and their water bowls replenished.
"At London-Heathrow the team at Heathrow Animal Reception Centre cared for Bluebell, allowing her to stretch her legs, and receive refreshments prior to her onward journey home.
“We take the responsibility of caring for people’s loved animals seriously and remain in regular contact with the owners.”
