An Air Canada pilot is being hailed a hero after he diverted a flight to save the life of a dog in the hold.
French bulldog Simba was in the cargo area of flight 85 from Tel Aviv to Toronto when the pilot noticed a problem with its heating system, City News reports.
“As soon as the crew became aware of the temperature issue, the captain grew rightfully concerned for the dog’s comfort and well-being,” an Air Canada spokesman told CNN via email.
“With the altitude it can become very uncomfortable, and possibly the situation could have been life-threatening if the flight had continued.”
The pilot chose to divert the flight to Frankfurt, Germany, where Simba and his owner German Kontrovich boarded another aircraft.
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The move caused a delay of 75 minutes to other passengers, and the airline incurred fuel costs of $10,000 for the delay, though as a very grateful Kontrovich stated: “It’s my dog. It’s like my child. It’s everything to me.”
