Dog found dead after flight: Delta Air Lines to investigate

Delta Air Lines is opening an investigating into the death of a dog found unresponsive after flying to meet his new owners. 

The 12-week-old Yorkshire terrier, named Sebastian, was found dead after being transported by Delta from a breeder in Ohio to its new family in Los Angeles Thursday. 

"We extend our deepest condolences to Sebastian’s family and are conducting a thorough review of the situation to understand what happened," Delta Air Lines said in a statement to USA TODAY, provided by spokesperson Chelsea Gorman. 

The pup's owner Cory Mcjimson reportedly found Sebastian unresponsive in his crate while picking him up at Delta's cargo area at the Los Angeles International Airport, according to TMZ, the outlet that first reported the incident, and People.

Delta confirmed that they are in contact with the Mcjimson family, adding that "pets are an important member of the family and we are focused on the well-being of all animals we transport."

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According to Delta Cargo's policy, pets can be shipped without their owners in a well-ventilated kennel with food and water dishes securely fastened to the inside of the kennel for the journey. 

USA TODAY reached out to the Mcjimson family for comment. 

This is not the first time a beloved pet has died during a flight.  

In 2018, a passenger's 10-month-old French bulldog, named Kokito, suffocated after a United Airlines flight attendant forced the owner to put the puppy in an overhead bin during a three-hour flight from Houston to New York.

Last year, a dog was found dead on an 11-hour transatlantic Air France-KLM flight from Amsterdam to Los Angeles.

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More: Dog stored in cargo hold dies on 11-hour flight on Air France-KLM