Republican senator opposed to gun control mocked for animal welfare bill following airline dog death
'How about we ban assault weapons first', one person writes on Twitter
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Your support makes all the difference.A Republican senator opposed to gun control has been mocked for being willing to file legislation to protect animals on planes after a dog dies after being placed in an overhead locker.
Senator John Kennedy, like many Americans, was outraged when he learned that an English bulldog puppy had died after after his carrier was in an overhead storage bin on a United Airlines flight this week.
“I will be filing a bill tomorrow that will prohibit airlines from putting animals in overhead bins,” Mr Kennedy tweeted. “Violators will face significant fines. Pets are family.”
Twitter users were quick to slam Mr Kennedy for the timing of his announcement, which occurred the same day that thousands of students nationwide walked out of school to protest gun violence and honour victims of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida.
“How about we ban assault weapons first,” one person responded to Mr Kennedy’s tweet.
Another person wrote: “I commend you for quickly introducing legislation to avoid same horrible tragedy, after a dog died on an airline. I hope it passes. It would be nice if you and your colleagues would pass legislation to avoid same horrible tragedy after 17 kids and faculty were killed at a school.”
After the Parkland shooting last month left 17 people dead, Mr Kennedy said what the US really needed is “more idiot control” instead of more gun control.
The Louisiana Republican also wrote a letter to the president of United Airlines, J Scott Kirby, demanding information on how many animals have died recently while in the airline’s care.
“[Pets] should not be treated like insignificant cargo. Frankly, they shouldn’t be placed in the cargo hold much less an overhead bin,” Kennedy wrote in the letter to Kirby. “This pattern of animal deaths and injuries is simply inexcusable. For many people, pets are members of the family.”
According to Roll Call, more than 500,000 animals flew in 2017, nearly 140,000 of them on United flights. Of the 24 that died, 18 were on United flights. Delta and American each reported two animal deaths.
Beginning next month, United will issue brightly coloured bag tags to customers travelling with in-cabin pets, the company has said.
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