Public relations 101: Don’t diss the media in an email and then accidentally send that email to the media outlet you are dissing.
But first we should back up. This is the story of Larry, an Italian greyhound whose American owner died of cancer, but who was at the San Francisco airport ready to board an Air Canada flight bound for British Columbia, where the deceased owner’s friend had located a new home for the pooch. But on Oct. 7, the dog got away from baggage handlers. A search ensued, but Larry was gone. A local television reporter with CBS reached out to Air Canada for comment. An Air Canada spokesman who intended to send a response to a colleague seemingly confused the reply and forward buttons and dispatched the dismissive missive to the reporter.
“I think I would just ignore, it is local news doing a story on a lost dog.,” the spokesman wrote. “Their entire government is shut down and about to default and this is how the U.S. media spends its time.”
Larry was later confirmed dead by a local veterinarian. The critter appeared to have been hit by a car.
Meantime, Air Canada issued an apology for the PR gaffe and expressed its sadness about the death of Larry.
h/t CBC Photo Jutta Kulic/Facebook
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