James Middleton has slammed AirFrance after the airline allegedly lost a dog in his care.
The 37-year-old brother of the Princess of Wales shared a petition on Change.org yesterday with his 345,000 Instagram followers calling on AirFrance to “take responsibility for its negligence.”
The petition describes how Ramon Alberto Piriz began his journey from the UK to Argentina with his friend’s dog, Sombra, on 22 August.
Upon arrival at Heathrow Airport, AirFrance flight attendants told Ramon that his dog was too heavy to travel in the cabin and needed to be moved to the cargo hold.
But when he arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris for his stopover, Ramón was told that Sombra had disappeared.
Pictured: The Princess of Wales’s brother James, his wife Alizée Thevenet and two of their six dogs.
The Princess of Wales’ brother shared the plea to find Shadow on his Instagram Stories and said it was his ‘worst nightmare’
Sharing the petition on his Instagram Stories, James, who has six dogs and runs pet food company James & Ella, wrote: ‘This is so sad.
“As someone who travels regularly, this is my worst nightmare.”
The Princess of Wales’ brother then tagged AirFrance’s Instagram account and reminded his followers that tomorrow is International Dog Day.
The petition claims that Sombra’s owner, Cruz Novillo Astrada, has not received “any meaningful updates” from AirFrance, leaving him in a “state of deep distress.”
On behalf of Cruz, the owner’s friend Anastasia Saravia wrote in her petition for change: ‘We believe that every passenger, whether human or animal, deserves the highest level of care when traveling.
‘Sombra’s disappearance is not just a heartbreaking incident; it is a failure by the airline to fulfil its duty of care.’
As such, the petition asks AirFrance to provide Cruz with “any material, records or communications that may shed light on what happened.”
It continues to demand that the airline launch an investigation and make its findings public.
Pictured: The Princess of Wales and her younger brother James Middleton at the Diana Memorial Concert at Wembley in 2007
Cruz also wants enhanced animal safety protocols, compensation for distress and for AirFrance to “publicly acknowledge its responsibility in this incident.”
Although Shadow was last seen at Heathrow, the airport’s website states: “All baggage is handled by the airlines from check-in to arrival.”
The petition currently has more than 3,600 signatures and aims to get 5,000.
“This is disgraceful,” one follower wrote in the comments. “Our pets are part of the family and should be treated with the same respect and care we would give a human being.”
Another added: “This is heartbreaking and very distressing for both the owner and the poor dog. Where is he?”
“I couldn’t sleep if this dog was mine. We have to find him!”
Sombra owner Cruz Novillo Astrada has been sharing screenshots of AirFrance emails on Instagram
Cruz shared screenshots of emails with AirFrance, one of which initially told him to contact Charles de Gaulle airport for assistance.
The petition to locate Sombra currently has more than 3,600 signatures and hopes to get 5,000 on Change.org
On his Instagram account, Cruz shared screenshots of emails with AirFrance, one of which initially told him to contact Charles de Gaulle Airport for assistance.
Cruz later appears to have received an email from AirFrance customer service assuring him that they were working with the airport to locate Sombra.
It says: ‘We have no words to express how sorry we are, our team is doing everything possible to get your dog safely to you.’
The email states that the airline would rebook Ramon’s flight without additional charges.
The owner then shared a screenshot of an email he sent to the airline that read: ‘The dog was stolen.
-He didn’t get away. I need you to check the cameras please and see who took my dog.
In the comments on the post, one follower asked: “Do we know for sure if Shadow was on the flight from the UK? Where is the transport box?”
In response, Cruz said: “That’s a good question. AirFrance refuses to return it or take a photo of it. They say they need permission. Nonsense.”
Another added: “There are cameras all over the airport, it is impossible for a dog to disappear.”
Meanwhile, a third said: “If they think it’s been stolen, they should call the French police.”
FEMAIL has contacted Air France and Heathrow for comment.
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