What's the deal with United?

Learn why we're always talking (and complaining) about United Airlines

Boonies Mango and Lola protest against United Airlines’ unjust pet policy. Photo by Quinn Bready.

Boonie Tails

Annika Carlson & Grace Keilbach

United Airlines’ monopoly on the Mariana islands is deadly for many boonies

One of the most common questions we get asked is, “Can people on the mainland adopt a boonie?” With 20,000 strays on Saipan, there is no way to find a home for all of them on the small island, so off-island adoptions are, in theory, part of the plan. The problem is that sending a dog to the mainland is very complicated—and has gotten even more complicated in the last few years.

A huge part of this problem is caused by United Airlines. United is the only domestic airline serving both Saipan and Guam. Because of something called cabotage law, foreign airlines cannot fly from one U.S. port to another, which means United has a complete monopoly on flights from Saipan to Guam and Hawaii.

In 2018 United Airlines suspended its PetSafe travel program, which allowed animals to fly through cargo, in response to bad publicity after a passenger’s dog was put in an overhead bin and tragically died. After being temporarily reinstated in 2019, the program was “suspended” again in 2020 and has not reopened since. 

The closure of this program means that most boonie dogs, who are too big for carriers that fit under the seat, cannot be flown to the mainland on a passenger flight. The alternative, private pet shipping, is extremely costly, time consuming, and hard to come by these days. This means that most people leaving the island end up making the heartbreaking decision to leave their pets behind. Guam’s shelter, GAIN, reports that about 40% of animal surrenders are due to their owners moving off the island.

Saipan resident Dorsha Moreno was one of the attendees of the Boonie Babies-led protest against United’s policy at the Saipan airport on May 22. She carries a #SaveTheBoonies sign and sports a t-shirt that reads, “May life treat you the way you treat animals.”

Watching people be forced to leave their beloved animals behind when we are already trying to save the thousands of others who don’t have a family is not just gut wrenching, it’s infuriating. These are not unwanted animals; they are family. Dogs like Lola, whose parent needed to relocate to the mainland to have life-saving surgery, should be given the opportunity to stay with their families.

What can we do about it?

So far, every attempt to connect with United and plead our case has been ignored. We even started a Change.org petition with over 22,000 signatures to date that the airline has not acknowledged. But that doesn’t mean we’ll stop trying. Here are a couple ways that you can help us make it easier to send pets to the mainland:

  • Raise national media attention. United Airlines has proven that the financial implications of bad press will influence their actions. Help us share our story and apply pressure to United.

  • Write to United. Send a letter to headquarters at “United Airlines, Inc. / 233 South Wacker Drive / Chicago, Illinois 60606” or email [email protected] and [email protected] urging them to reinstate PetSafe travel in the Mariana Islands.

Cabotage exemption

In addition to United reinstating its PetSafe program, allowing a cabotage exemption would make a huge difference when it comes to pet shipping. Delegates from both Guam and the CNMI are working together to push forward legislation that would provide a regional cabotage exemption, eliminating United’s monopoly of the region. We are hopeful that this will gain support and we will continue to speak out against cabotage law in U.S. overseas territories which cause exorbitant flight prices for residents and leave animals to die.

Boonie of the Week

Mango is famous on Saipan because one of her daughters is Boonie Babies’ very own Tequila!

Meet Mango!

Now a bit of a celebrity on Saipan, Mama Mango was found on Lau Lau road last year where she led Boonie Babies to her puppies in the jungle. As if she didn’t have enough on her plate, she also adopted three more puppies, taking care of them as her own.

Here’s what Tara Budden, Boonie Babies volunteer and Mango’s former foster mom, has to say about her:

I met Mango back in April this year along with 15 other amazing boonies and I’ll admit, I don’t think I really took the time to notice what a phenomenal dog she truly is. Don’t get me wrong—I appreciated her calm demeanor and passion for cuddles and running, but beyond that she didn’t really stick out to me.

When I found out she had the opportunity to fly to Canada and was asked to foster her, of course I said yes! It took her a few days to settle in, but after that is when the fun really started. This dog was a total goober! She had me laughing or smiling with almost every interaction. She’s goofy, she’s sweet, she’s sassy. 

I was never concerned about finding her a family, but we all know how many dogs are looking for homes these days so I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of timeline. After just 3 days of meeting people through my work she had 5 applications! Choosing the best fit for her wasn’t easy but I’m happy to report I think I made a pretty good call. 

Mango is living her very best life with her new mom and dad, 2 human sisters, 1 doggy sister, and 2 cat siblings!

Mango traded out her U.S. citizenship to become a Canadian! Even though it’s a bit colder in British Columbia, Mango still loves the beach.

Reply

or to participate.