Delta Airlines misrouted a puppy cross-country to the wrong airport while its new owner fought frantically from the ground to be united with his 8-week-old canine.
The white and brindle dog, Ren, was due to fly into Boise, Idaho, from Richmond, Virginia, on Saturday evening, after connecting in Detroit and Minneapolis, CNN noted.
The breeder put the dog on the flight, but somewhere along the way things fell apart.
Josh Schlaich arrived to fetch the puppy on Saturday but was given another dog from Ren's litter instead, KBTV said.
After contacting Delta, it emerged that the plane transporting Ren did not travel the planned route but instead flew from Virginia to Detroit, where it stayed overnight before heading off to Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, then Boise on Sunday night, Fox News reported.
Ren spent Saturday in a kennel instead of with his new family, while Schlaich fought with Delta officials, who he said hung up on him several times, to track the puppy.
After receiving a call regarding his dog's whereabouts from someone on the terminal, Schlaich said he was given the number of the boarding facility, which turned out to be a disconnected line.
"Was not given a call back number by Detroit person, and the customer service would not give me their direct line," he said on Saturday, per CNN.
"Tried calling Delta Cargo customer service, only to be yelled at by the rep and hung up on. No idea where my dog is, or what conditions he'll be placed under for the next 24 or more hours. Don't know when he will come into Boise tomorrow. No idea who to call. Absolutely ridiculous customer service."
The ordeal was finally resolved, and Ren made it to his new home on Sunday while Delta apologized for the mix-up.
However, Schlaich said he was not impressed with how the situation was handled.
"We went for a couple of hours not really knowing where this dog was. We didn't really know how it would be taken care of at the boarding facility. The dog has been in a crate for two days," he said, according to KBTV. "It's a culmination of uncaring customer service and bad logistics."
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