Partially Blind Cat Went Missing on Flight and Family Still Doesn't Have Answers

When you travel with your pet, you expect your pet to safely reach your destination when you do. But that's not what happened to the Kopp family when their cat Rodri went missing on a flight in Europe on March 8.

When the family landed in Athens and was ready to board their next flight to Munich, Germany, an airline representative from Aegean Airlines showed Kopp the cat carrier where Rodri had traveled in, and a large section of plastic on the top of one of the carriers had been broken off, leaving a hole big enough for a cat to get through, and the carrier was empty.

Rodri was a partially blind street cat that Mary Gomes Kopp and her husband, Alyssa’s stepfather, rescued in the Greek island of Crete, where they have a home. They care for about 60 stray cats and Rodri was found in a pile of trash.

CNN reports that Kopp told them, "We caught her, and took her to the vet, who closed [her missing eye] really well, but he said that her second eye was already turning white, and that when she was older and was ready to be neutered, it’d be better to fly her to Germany to an animal hospital, not just a vet. He said they could handle it better in Germany.”

Mary was flying Rodri to Germany where Alyssa Kopp could take care of her after her surgery.

Related: Delta Airlines Makes Most Ridiculous Offer to Passenger After Losing Her Dog

How Rodri Went Missing

At Chania airport, a representative for Aegean Airlines checked the paperwork and cleared the animals for the flight. The family had paid $390 for the three cats.

After they were shown the broken carrier with Rodri missing, neither Chania or Athens airport would take responsibility.

CNN goes on to report, "Gomes Kopp has made four return trips to Athens after receiving tip-offs of possible sightings, they said, but was initially only allowed to search public areas. Aegean Airlines has covered three of her eight flights to search for Rodri. After receiving another handful of possible Rodri sightings at Chania. Gomes Kopp was allowed into an aircraft loading area one time, but has not been allowed back since. The family says subsequent efforts to find the cat have hit a brick wall, with staff at both airports removing posters, and workers from Chania returning a humane cat trap."

Meanwhile, Aegean Airlines has not responded to the family in over a month.

I can't even imagine what this poor family is going through, and to have no information in over a month is inexcusable.

My heart breaks for them. I hope that Rodri is found or they find out what happened to her. They deserve that at least. It really makes you think twice about traveling with a pet.

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