Air Canada Flight Diverts To Save Dog

An Air Canada jet on an international flight diverted to Germany Sunday to save a dog in the cargo hold from freezing to death. The flight, en route from Tel Aviv to Toronto, had 232 passengers along with Simba, a seven-year-old French bulldog, according to a report by CityNews of Toronto.

An Air Canada jet on an international flight diverted to Germany Sunday to save a dog in the cargo hold from freezing to death. The flight, en route from Tel Aviv to Toronto, had 232 passengers along with Simba, a seven-year-old French bulldog, according to a report by CityNews of Toronto. Over Europe, the captain saw a cargo heater had malfunctioned and decided to land in Frankfurt rather than head over the Atlantic, where Simba would have succumbed to the subzero temperatures at altitude.

"The captain grew rightfully concerned for the dog's comfort and well-being," an Air Canada spokesman told the CBC. "Possibly the situation could have been life threatening if the flight had continued." After 75 minutes, the flight departed Frankfurt without Simba, who took another flight to Toronto. "The overall reaction was positive, particularly once people understood the dog was in potential danger but safe as a result of the diversion," the spokesman said.A grateful owner was reunited with Simba in Toronto.