While trying to escape from the airplane’s cargo hold, this dog was allegedly brutally abused by airport staff, leaving viewers furious: “When we sent her away, she was healthy and beautiful… when we received her back, all we could do was hold her and cry.”

A Golden Retriever dog transported by China Eastern Airlines on a flight from Shanghai to Wuhan was returned to its owner after escaping from the cargo hold. However, the owner was heartbroken to see the horrific injuries on their pet. Images and a post claiming the dog was abused by airport staff were shared on Weibo, attracting over 130,000 shares.

In her post, the owner stated that the dog was discovered missing from the cargo hold shortly after the plane took off on May 24th. “I was extremely worried because I had previously read about cases of dogs being beaten to death after trying to escape. I asked the airport staff what I should do, whether my dog ​​would be beaten or not? They told me not to worry, that the airport staff wouldn’t beat it, but instead would help search for it,” she wrote.

After waiting anxiously, the owner said that four airport staff members returned his dog in a large cage. Upon its return, the Golden Retriever was covered in wounds. Its eyes were even bleeding. The owner insisted these injuries were from beatings, not from a fall.

One female employee told the owner that it took them over two hours to catch the dog, while another said they couldn’t do anything because the dog had run into a restricted area.

“I felt extremely angry and disappointed. It felt like my own child had been beaten and the abusers were trying to pass the buck. I didn’t have the energy to argue with them. I quickly took Er Mao (the dog’s name) to the hospital for a check-up. Er Mao’s long fur had hidden quite a few of the wounds.”

After shaving off some of the dog’s fur, veterinarians discovered numerous injuries on Er Mao’s back, legs, head, and eyes. They said the dog may have been beaten with a stick with sharp spikes or abused with an air gun or some other weapon.

“I don’t understand why airport staff would treat passengers’ pets so cruelly. Whatever happened, they shouldn’t have abused them like that. In my case, it was early morning and there was only one flight, so I’m sure Er Mao didn’t affect flight safety,” he continued. “I hope China Eastern and Tianhe Airport can provide a reasonable explanation and stop shifting blame.”

According to the South China Morning Post, Wuhan Tianhe Airport has posted a statement regarding the incident. A representative from the airport stated that the dog was captured and restrained in an emergency situation.

“To prevent the dog from running loose on the airport runway or parking area, causing unnecessary injuries, airport staff were forced to implement some restraint measures based on aviation laws and regulations,” quoted a spokesperson from Tianhe Airport.

It is currently unclear how the dog escaped from its cage in the cargo hold.