Thomas Cook guilty of 'unnecessary suffering' after bulldog dies on flight

PA

Thomas Cook has been fined £6,500 after being found guilty of causing 'unnecessary suffering' to an English bulldog who died on a flight from Cyprus to the UK.

Buster belonged to a member of the armed forces who was returning home, but was found dead at Gatwick Airport after the Thomas Cook Airlines flight.

West Sussex County Council trading standards officers, who visited Buster at Gatwick after his death, found that the container he was flying in was too small and, because snub-nosed breeds experience breathing problems - particularly in times of stress - the container was likely to have caused him 'unnecessary suffering'.

Thomas Cook Airlines was found guilty on four counts - causing unnecessary suffering and using a transport container that was not of the correct size as well as two counts regarding the incorrect labelling of the transport container - but had denied the claims.

As well as the £6,500 fine, the holiday company were also ordered to pay £12,000 in costs to the council's Trading Standards Services, according to the Daily Mail.

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