James Middleton has criticised Air France after the airline reportedly lost a dog in its care.
The 37-year-old brother of the Princess of Wales shared a petition on Change.org with his 345,000 Instagram followers yesterday, asking Air France to “take responsibility for its negligence”.
The petition describes how Ramón Alberto Piriz began his journey from the UK to Argentina on August 22 with his friend’s dog, Sombra.
Upon arrival at Heathrow Airport, Ramón was told by Air France cabin crew that his dog was too heavy to travel in the cabin and had to be placed in the cargo hold.
But when Ramón arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris for their layover, he was told that Sombra had disappeared.
Pictured: James, the brother of the Princess of Wales, and his wife Alizée Thevenet and two of their six dogs
The Princess of Wales’ brother shared the petition to find Sombra on his Instagram Stories, saying it was his ‘worst nightmare’
James, who has six dogs and runs pet food business James & Ella, shared the petition on his Instagram Stories, writing: “This is so sad.
“As someone who travels regularly, this is my worst nightmare.”
The Princess of Wales’ brother then tagged Air France’s Instagram account and reminded his followers that tomorrow is International Dog Day.
The petition claims that Sombra’s owner, Cruz Novillo Astrada, has received “no meaningful update” from Air France, leaving him in a “state of deep distress.”
On behalf of Cruz, Anastasia Saravia, a friend of the owner, wrote the following on their petition: “We believe that every passenger, human or animal, deserves the very best care while traveling.
‘Sombra’s disappearance is not only a heartbreaking incident; it is also a sign that the airline is failing in its duty of care.’
The petition asks Air France to provide Cruz with “any images, reports or communications that could shed light on what happened.”
The airline is then required to launch an investigation and make the findings public.
Pictured: The Princess of Wales and her younger brother James Middleton at the Diana memorial concert at Wembley in 2007
In addition, Cruz wants animal safety protocols to be tightened, compensation to be provided for the damage suffered and Air France to “publicly acknowledge its responsibility for this incident.”
Although Sombra was last seen at Heathrow, the airport’s website states: ‘All baggage is managed by the airlines from check-in to arrival.’
The petition currently has over 3,600 signatures and is aiming for 5,000.
“This is outrageous,” one supporter wrote in the comments. “Our pets are family and should be treated with the respect and care you would give a human being.”
Another added: ‘This is heartbreaking and very painful for both the owner and the poor dog. Where is he?
“If this was my dog, I wouldn’t be able to sleep. He must be found!”
Sombra owner Cruz Novillo Astrada shared screenshots of Air France emails on Instagram
Cruz shared screenshots of emails with Air France, one of which initially told him to contact Charles de Gaulle airport for assistance
The petition to locate Sombra currently has over 3,600 signatures and is aiming for 5,000 on Change.org
On his Instagram account, Cruz shared screenshots of emails with Air France, one of which initially told him to contact Charles de Gaulle airport for help.
Cruz later appears to have received an email from Air France customer service, assuring him that they were working with the airport to locate Sombra.
It says: ‘We have no words to express how sorry we are, our team is doing everything we can to get your dog back to you safe and sound.’
The email stated that the airline would rebook Ramón’s flight at no additional cost.
The owner then shared a screenshot of an email he sent to the airline, which read: “They stole the dog.
It didn’t work [escape]. I want you to look at the cameras and see who took my dog.’
In the comments on the post, one follower asked: ‘Do we know for sure Sombra was ever on the flight from the UK? Where is the transport crate?’
Cruz responded, “That’s a good question. Air France refuses to give it back or take a picture of it. They say they need permission. Nonsense.”
Another added: ‘There are cameras everywhere in an airport, there is no way a dog could disappear.’
Meanwhile, a third said: ‘If they think it’s stolen they should call the French police.’
FEMAIL has contacted Air France and Heathrow for comment.