A golden retriever named Er Mao, traveled with his owner on May 29. However, due to the animal’s size and weight, it was unable to travel in the passenger compartment. The dog was inside a cargo box in the cargo hold of a China Eastern flight.

After the flight, upon arrival at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in China, the owner received his dog from the hands of the local staff. However, the animal was badly injured.

According to the owner, who waited more than an hour to receive his dog, the dog sustained serious injuries to his eyes and body.

It is believed that the animal was mistreated by airport officials. The information the owner received was that the dog escaped from its transport box and was rescued by airport staff while it was still at the departure point, causing the flight’s take-off to be delayed by 40 minutes. However, the assumption is that local officials used “excessive force” to retrieve the dog and put him back in the cage.

According to the airport statement, eight team members spent more than 40 minutes chasing the fleeing animal before returning it to its transport box. The airport also said its team had to respond to an “emergency” in order to prevent harm to staff and passengers, and apologized to the owner for the incident with the dog.

Inform the dog’s owner that the animal continues to receive medical treatment at a veterinary hospital, but is not in danger. He also said he was requesting more information about the case and could take legal action.

An investigation is underway to determine who is to blame for the dog’s escape and injury.