United halts new reservations for animals traveling in cargo

United Airlines will temporarily stop taking new reservations to carry animals in its planes’ cargo compartments.

“We are conducting a thorough and systematic review of our program for pets that travel in the cargo compartment to make improvements that will ensure the best possible experience for our customers and their pets,” the airline said in a statement.

The announcement comes as the airline is facing a backlash following a series of pet-related mishaps.

{mosads}Earlier this month, a dog died when it was forced into an overhead bin on a United flight.

The airline later said in a statement it accepted full responsibility for the pet’s death and announced a new plan to issue brightly colored tags to customers traveling with pets.

United said a language barrier prevented the flight attendant from understanding a customer, who warned that there was a dog in the carrier. The customers have disputed that claim. 

Last week, a United Airlines flight from Newark, N.J., to St. Louis was diverted after airline employees realized a dog was “mistakenly” put on the plane.

The dog, which was loaded in a carrier, was dropped off in Akron, Ohio, and eventually reunited with its owner.

The airline also mistakenly sent a dog that was supposed to be sent to Kansas to Japan. After the incident, the airline issued an apology and said it had notified the customers and was looking into the issue.

A pair of Republican lawmakers are pressing the airline for explanations, saying “these incidents follow a troubling record of animal safety on United flights.”

–This report was updated at 1:12 p.m.