I’m Ana Herrera, a dog lover from Granada - Spain and I’d like to share with you what it’s happening during last days and hours here and there.
This history starts some months ago when I felt in love to a handsome Aussie boy.
Finally I got the option he comes at home and we planned his trip the last 17th of March arriving Spain on 18th.
It’s not the first time I receive dogs by cargo from USA (some imported and some my own dogs, Mals, who were there to finnish their championships and one for a breeding ).
This time I decided a direct flight from Atlanta to Madrid as the best and quick way for the dog, on Tuesday 18th I could travel to Madrid to pick up him.
The air waybill was booked some days prior and all the documentation was done (health official certificates mainly) and on Saturday 15th this is the info I had from USA:
AWB number : 00682087950
Routing : Origin ATL MAD
Forwarder : Name : Station : Shipper : Name : Station : ATL
Tender Date and Time : Date : 17Mar08 - Hour 1200
Segment : ATLMAD Flight : DL108
Date : 17Mar08 A/C : 767
Pcs : 1 Weight : 50.0KG Volume : 0.02MC M : L : C : S : NStatus : ACCEPTED
My boy was left in Atlanta airport on 17th at time.
On Tuesday 18th at 4 a.m. I checked my computer before leave home and no news from my boy’s breeders and I entered in deltacargo.com website the air waybill number and the message that appears was :
17MAR -- 1 PIECES DEPARTED FROM ATL ON DL108/17MAR TO MAD
17MAR/1527 -- 1 PIECES AT ATL ASSIGNED TO DL108/17MAR
17MAR/1527 -- 1 PIECES ACCEPTED AT ATL
So … my boy was flying!
I arrived Madrid’s airport at 10:00 and I went directly to the place where my dog was (I phoned the day before to Delta Cargo Spain to ask for the exact place as I didn’t have news from them … when I’ve used Iberia Cargo some days before my dogs arrive I always receive a phone call from them asking me if I’ll be at the airport on date and time to pick up the dog) to start with the documents and procedures in WFS.
I got the documents what flown with my dog, I paid the storage and documents procedure fees and went to the vet services to wait they checked my dog and documentation and allowed to enter the dog in Spain – Europe.
At 11:30 the vets arrived to their desk and they told me that they checked all the dogs there were in WFS but my dog was not there. I told them that it was a mistake, my dog was there as I had his documentation what came with him and in WFS told me that they saw and check his cage.
I went to WFS to know about where my dog was and … my dog was not there! (they saw other dog). The info they had online by Delta Cargo is that my dog arrived in the fly DL108. They started to work to look for my dog making some phone calls and more (I couldn’t imagine my dog lost in a big airport ... how dangerous!).
About 12:30 – 13:00 they could speak directly with the person who unload all the baggage and freight goods from the plane and he sured that there was not dog in this plane.
In the meantime I phoned sometimes to Delta Cargo Spain but the reply was always the same: they were not responsible about this case as it was an import and the responsible was the WFS (the warehouse!).
From WFS they tried to contact to Delta Cargo Atlanta (thanks for the work!) but without result.
Finally around 15:00 they received reply and they told them that my dog was still in Atlanta!, I was in shock also after 6 hours waiting in the airport.
I did also some phone calls to USA to report about the problem to my boy’s breeders.
At 16:00 I decided that I couldn’t do anymore there and I started the travel to come back home (500 + 500 km, 11 hours driven ...).
I arrived at home at 21:30 and I was in contact during next hours to my boy’s breeders by e-mail. They were on the phone with Delta Cargo in Atlanta and what they offer us is ship again my boy that night to Madrid. I tried to explain them that I felt sick after a terrible day and that it was very dangerous for me drive without sleep 11 hours more so I told them to ask Delta to solve their BIG MISTAKE they did and send me my boy to my house (with a fly from Madrid to a nearest airport, with a taxi from Madrid airport to my house, a private flight, ...). Delta Cargo refused and only offered send again my dog but only to Madrid.
This is the info that there was in deltacargo.com about this AWB at that time :
18MAR/1038 -- 1 PIECES CHECKED IN AT MAD OFF DL108/17MAR
17MAR -- 1 PIECES DEPARTED FROM ATL ON DL108/17MAR TO MAD
17MAR/1527 -- 1 PIECES AT ATL ASSIGNED TO DL108/17MAR
17MAR/1527 -- 1 PIECES ACCEPTED AT ATL
We studied what was the best for the dog and decided accept that and later do the reports.
On Tuesday at 22:30 I started with some phone calls to look for a friend who pick up my boy in Madrid on Wednesday morning and later we will see the way to bring him at home, but put him out his cage and airport as soon was possible.
I found her! (thanks a lot Vickeny!).
On Wednesday morning the troubles started again. I spoke to the airport (WFS and later the vet service) and ... finally my boy was there. My friend arrived to the airport about 13:00 and she started with some of the procedures (some of them and the payments were done the day before, I sent all the documents to Madrid by fax). I phoned her sometimes to explain her all what she had to do and again to WFS and the vet service.
At 14:00 my friend phoned me. What I wanted to hear is that my boy was fine and out his cage.But that she told me it was : “Ana, this is not your dog”, I thought she was joking but I understood soon that she was saying the truth ... also a person who works in WFS send me by his cell a picture of the dog who was in the cage, take a look
Do you think he or she is an Australian Shepherd 3 years old?
The vets when they were check him discovered that the dog inside the cage was not the same dog who was in the official documents ...
In WFS they told me that this dog arrived under my name, with the AWB on dog’s cage was mine and nobody understood NOTHING.
Unfortunately my friend had to leave that poor dog there (it seems to be an old dog!) and we couldn’t do anything for him, just ask WFS and the vet services to take care of him.
From that again phone calls and mails to my boy’s breeder to try to know what it happened ... during all the night I’m waiting reply but also in USA my friends have not exact news.
Now it’s 12:00 on Thursday 20th and I have not news about where and how my dog is ... in Atlanta it’s 5 or 6 a.m. and of course they are sleeping calmly ... lucky them!.
In Deltacargo.com website it appears at this time this :
Air Waybill Reference Origin Destination Pieces Weight
006-82087950 ATL MAD 1 36.5
19MAR/1336 -- 1 PIECES DELIVERED AT MAD TO
19MAR/0857 -- 1 PIECES CHECKED IN AT MAD OFF DL108/18MAR
18MAR -- 1 PIECES DEPARTED FROM ATL ON DL108/18MAR TO MAD
18MAR/1641 -- 1 PIECES AT ATL ASSIGNED TO DL108/18MAR
18MAR/1641 -- 1 PIECES ACCEPTED AT ATL
18MAR/1038 -- 1 PIECES CHECKED IN AT MAD OFF DL108/17MAR
17MAR -- 1 PIECES DEPARTED FROM ATL ON DL108/17MAR TO MAD
17MAR/1527 -- 1 PIECES AT ATL ASSIGNED TO DL108/17MAR
17MAR/1527 -- 1 PIECES ACCEPTED AT ATL
And finally for now ... do you know how many phone calls, faxes or e-mails I’ve received from Delta Cargo with excuses, explanations, solutions ... the reply is : ZERO
At this moment I only want to know WHERE AND HOW MY BOY IS
Thursday 20th ... 16:30 aprox.
I received a mail from my dog's breeders and CONFIRMED : my dog is in PERU
and a mail more some hours later telling me that he is still in Peru and they don't know when they can get him back
To continue ...
(my english is not good at all, sorry)
