Gorgeous French bulldog died ‘after Alaska Airlines downgraded him from first class to coach’

A California man has sued Alaskan Airlines after he claimed one of his two dogs died on a cross-country flight after they were forced to move from first class to coach. 

Michael ‘Mike’ Contillo, of San Francisco, was flying from New York to San Francisco with his father and his two French bulldogs, Ash and Kora, when cream-colored Ash tragically died during the flight on February 1. 

‘I’m loudly weeping,’ Contillo told The Mercury News. ‘They see our dead dog. They see me crying. Not a single one of them stops to offer any help or condolences,’ he said of the flight’s crew. 

Shortly before takeoff, Contillo and his father were asked to move from row four to row 11 for ‘safety purposes,’ despite the dog dad explaining that moving the pooches this close to takeoff would be ‘extremely dangerous,’ the lawsuit, viewed by DailyMail.com, said. 

Contillo worried that moving his dogs could lead to ‘extremely dangerous breathing and heart problems,’ which could prove ‘lethal for a dog, especially right before you change altitudes.’ 

Shortly before takeoff, Contillo and his father were asked to move from row four to row 11 for ‘safety purposes,’ despite the dog dad explaining that moving the pooches this close to takeoff would be ‘extremely dangerous’

After moving, the Californian noticed Ash, who was three, had begun to breathe ‘very quickly and heavily’ and had ‘noticeable anxiety,’ before eventually calming down and ‘stopped moving’ (pictured: Kora in the back, Ash in the front) 

After moving, the Californian noticed Ash, who was three, had begun to breathe ‘very quickly and heavily’ and had ‘noticeable anxiety,’ before eventually calming down and ‘stopped moving.’ 

He could not check on the well-being of his pet until after takeoff and he was told to keep the carrier closed. 

The Harvard graduate, who has an MBA and a JD, did not check the carrier after takeoff as the dog had settled and he believed Ash had fallen asleep. 

But upon arriving at the San Francisco International Airport, he realized his dog was dead and was ‘entirely in rigor mortis.’ Rigor mortis sets in for dogs around four hours post-death and the flight was five hours long. 

Contillo began to cry in grief and accused one of the crew members of loudly saying: ‘Now you’re going to blame us for killing your dog,’ he told The Mercury News.

The dog dad believes his pooch would have made the flight safely if they hadn’t been forced to move to a more crowded area of the plane, which is why he bought first-class tickets in the first place. 

He could not check on the well-being of his pet until after takeoff and he was told to keep the carrier closed 

But upon arriving at the San Francisco International Airport, he realized his dog was dead and was ‘entirely in rigor mortis.’ Rigor mortis sets in for dogs around four hours post-death and the flight was five hours long 

He also paid the $100 fee to have his dogs in the cabin, rather than be checked in the holding area. 

In addition, this was not Kora or Ash’s first flight, as the father-son duo had flown them to New York in the first-class cabin in November. 

Prior to the winter flight, a veterinarian confirmed both dogs were healthy and fit enough to fly. Both were active on the flight to New York and did not show signs of distress, he claimed. 

Contillo blames Alaska Airlines for ‘negligently, carelessly, [and] recklessly’ forcing him to move his dogs in February after he took various ‘steps of precaution’ to make sure his pets were not be put in harm’s way. 

Contillo blames Alaska Airlines for ‘negligently, carelessly, [and] recklessly’ forcing him to move his dogs in February after he took various ‘steps of precaution’ to make sure his pets were not be put in harm’s way 

He also paid the $100 fee to have his dogs in the cabin, rather than be checked in the holding area

The dog dad, who works as a head of product at LegalOn, said the dog’s death has caused him ‘severe mental and emotional distress, pain, and suffering.’ 

He also claimed in the lawsuit that Ash had ‘peculiar value because he was like a son to his owner, who did not have children of his own.’ 

He remembers his dog as having ‘loved life’ and who ‘woke up every day excited to be alive.’ 

‘A door opening was a celebration. A carrot dropping on the floor was the best thing that could happen. Every time I took him on a stroll…it was like going on a stroll for the first time,’ he told The Mercury News. 

DailyMail.com has reached out to Contillo and Alaska Airlines for comment.