Shelter Dog Becker Was All Set to Fly to His New Family—Then the Airline Said He Was Too Tall
After a heartfelt goodbye from shelter staff, a long car ride to the airport, and being put into a crate, Becker the Poodle mix was ready to fly to his new home.
Becker had been adopted from Animal Friends of the Valleys (an animal shelter in Wildomar, California) by a family in Kentucky, so he needed to be flown to them. While a little stressful, flying a dog is a relatively easy way to transport them, and much faster than driving across the country.
There was just one problem: Becker was turned away at the airport and his flight was denied.
Becker was just slightly too tall for his crate according to airline regulations and though everything else was set for him to travel to his new home, Becker would have to wait for another flight. Everyone was crushed—it had looked like Becker would never see the inside of a shelter again, but he was back the same day, a little confused about the long journey in the car.
Becker’s new family would also have to wait, and everyone was anxious to make this happen for this deserving dog and his adopters.
Quick Fix: Becker Tries To Catch Another Flight
The team at Animal Friends of the Valleys was determined to fly Becker to his new home, and they weren’t going to let a few inches of space stand between this sweet dog and his forever family. The solution ended up being fairly simple, and the team was able to find a crate extender that added a little more headroom for Becker so he would be safe and comfortable on the plane.
Becker loaded back into the car for the second attempt, and together with shelter staff, he headed back to the airport. Though Becker didn’t know it, everyone had their fingers crossed that he would be cleared for this flight—they didn’t want to have to try for round three!
Thankfully, the crate extender worked perfectly and Becker was allowed on the flight. A few hours later, he arrived safely in Kentucky where his forever family was waiting to welcome him.
Thanks to the dedication of Animal Friends of the Valley and Becker’s new humans, he has a beautiful new life in Kentucky and a new name: Phil.
Phil’s story just goes to show that a little hiccup in the plans is no reason to give up—because everyone persevered, Phil will get to live the rest of his life with humans who adore him.
