Dog creates chaos in cargo hold 

The damage knocked the plane out of commission for
repairs for nine days, but never placed the July 22
flight from San Diego to New York in any danger,
officials said. 

Crew members said they heard thumping from the cargo
hold and discovered that backup radio and some
navigational equipment wasn't working. 

After the plane landed, ground crews opened the cargo
hold doors and spotted the pit bull running free. The
dog had gnawed a hole in the bulkhead, damaged the
cargo hold door and chewed through garden hose-size
electrical cables. 

The airline said the ban was a matter of safety and
would apply to all pit bulls, Rottweilers and Doberman
pinschers and any other dog that exhibits aggressive
behavior. 

The American Kennel Club called the airline's move an
overreaction. 

"There is broad agreement among canine experts that
aggressive or dangerous behavior is not
breed-specific," the club's chief executive, Alfred L
Cheaure, insisted in a letter this week to American
officials. 

Cheaure said the pit bull's rampage was caused by a
problem with the container, not the dog. He said
American should upgrade standards for cages instead of
banning some dogs. 

But Carla Restivo, a Dallas breeder of American
Staffordshire, a type of pit bull, said she found it
hard to fault American Airlines. 

"Airlines have enough to deal with, and it's pretty
scary to have a dog come out of a crate and wreak
havoc," she said. 

So far, the airline has not sought reimbursement for
repairs from the dog's owner, who paid $177.78 to ship
the animal. - Sapa-AP