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On a recent evening flight from Detroit to Los Angeles, something unexpected happened mid-air — a dog on board started to feel sick. Delta Air Lines Flight 694 had just taken off from Detroit Metropolitan Airport with 181 passengers and six crew members when the crew was informed that a pet in the cabin needed help.
Thankfully, a veterinarian happened to be on the flight and stepped in right away to assist. While they did their best to care for the dog in the air, it quickly became clear that the pup needed more help than they could provide on board. The flight crew made the decision to divert the plane to Minneapolis so the dog could receive proper care as soon as possible.
The plane touched down at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport around 9:51 p.m., about two and a half hours after takeoff. Medical staff were already waiting on the ground to meet the passenger and their dog when they arrived.
Delta later released a statement, explaining the reason for the diversion. “The safety of our customers and people comes before everything else at Delta. That’s why Delta flight 694 diverted to MSP to ensure a cabin pet that became ill received proper care.”
After the delay, the flight resumed its journey and eventually arrived in Los Angeles just after 1 a.m. on May 27. While the airline didn’t share further details about the dog’s condition, a fellow passenger told KTLA News that the captain had reassured everyone on board that the pet was expected to recover.
As unusual as it was, the incident came on the heels of another strange moment for Delta. Just two days earlier, another flight out of Minneapolis ran into a very different problem — two uninvited pigeons.
On Saturday, May 24, Delta Flight 2348 was preparing to head to Madison, Wisconsin, when the birds made their surprise appearance. Passenger Thomas Caw described the scene, joking, “My guess is the pigeons were tired of flying and wanted snacks. They didn’t know this flight to MSN is too short for Delta to offer beverage/snack service.”
A passenger first spotted one of the birds and notified a flight attendant. Moments later, the pilot came on the intercom to confirm the unlikely news: a pigeon had somehow gotten onto the plane. “He had no experience with this situation,” Caw added.
The pigeon incident caused the plane to return to the gate not once, but twice, leading to a 56-minute delay. Delta later issued an apology for the disruption.
Between pigeons on planes and pups needing emergency care, it was certainly an eventful week in the skies for Delta. But through it all, the airline emphasized that their top priority remains the well-being of everyone on board — furry passengers included.
Public opinion regarding the dog is still divided. Many claim they wouldn’t mind the emergency landing and delay if it meant a life would be saved. Others feel the dog could have waited until they landed. What do you think about the situation? Where do you stand? Please let us know in our comment section.
