It now seems that seven puppies have died on an American Airlines flight from Tusla to Chicago last week. Apparently the plane was carrying 14 puppies in the cargo hold, and half of them did not make it. Reports are suggesting that the puppies died from the heat.

However, some experts are saying that there are steps that people can take to ensure their pet’s safety on a plane. Overall, they say that it’s all about the temperatures and the time waiting on the tarmac. In this case, the American Airlines flight took off an hour late from Tulsa.

American Airlines has a corporate policy that says they will not fly pets in the cargo hold when the ground temperature is above 85 degrees or, in the winter months, when its below 45 degrees. The national Weather Service was reporting the temperatures were actually about 87 degrees and rising when the plane finally took off.

Of course, all airlines have different rules regarding animals flying on their planes. JetBlue and Southwest won’t allow any pets to be transported at all. Delta Air Lines will not fly animals in temperatures above 75 and below 25 degrees.

Some experts now suggest putting some ice cubes in the water dish. This is because all the approved kneels have a little water dish. However, this is useless because, with all the jostling the kennel goes through, the water is going to spill before the pet even gets on the plane. However, if it’s in ice form, the cube will have to melt first, meaning that the pet may already be on the plane before the ice melts, and it can hydrate itself.