38 French Bulldog puppies have been found dead in the cargo of a Ukrainian International Airlines plane that arrived in Canada earlier this week.

Authorities in Canada have launched an official investigation to find out what really happened to the poor 38 puppies.

At least 500 puppies were on a Ukraine International Airlines plane that landed at the Toronto Pearson Airport, out of which 38 of them died.

Many of the other dogs were suffering from dehydration, vomiting, and weakness, said the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

The agency said:

Upon inspection, it was found that 38 were dead on arrival. Ukrainian International Airlines is a member of the International Air Transport Association, which has voluntary guidelines airlines should follow to ensure animals are transported safely.CFIA officials are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident and will determine next steps once the investigation is complete.

Dog handler Abby Lorenzen, who was present at the cargo area of the area to fetch an animal, said that the scene was complete horror.

She said:

It was just a nightmare. Canada and the federal government need to change the laws on the importation of these puppies.

Scott Weese, a professor at the University of Guelph, and is currently working with Canada’s Public Health Agency, said that many people unwittingly buy dogs in Canada, not knowing that they came from different countries.

He said:

It is a big industry. There’s no doubt about it. And it’s been looked at more in the U.S. and there’s potentially some organised crime component of it, too, in some areas. There are lucrative situations where you can buy large numbers of dogs fairly cheaply. You mentioned 500 French bull dogs. If those are going for sale at $3,000 to $4,000 a dog, that’s a massive amount of money.

The Ukraine International Airlines released a statement about the incident on social media, where they said:

Everyone at UIA offers its condolences for the tragic loss of animal life on our flight. UIA is working with local authorities to determine what happened and to make any changes necessary to prevent such a situation from occurring again.

Let’s hope authorities find out what caused the deaths of the poor puppies.