Never Considered Wyatt "Just Cargo"

Question:
 Nearly four months to the day, our Labrador Retriever, Wyatt, passed away following a short flight to my parents home in Texas via Washington, D.C. The kids(this includes Wyatt) and I were going to Texas while my husband was at another school. Wyatt's death was of utter shock, not only to me, but, my poor parents. He died from his stomach flipping. When my parents found him the next morning, he was gone. We, never got to say good-bye. We are a military family and Wyatt was with us even before our children. He was with us during our engagement years, our marriage and our numerous assignments overseas and back. We did not have any problems with his flights, nor with Wyatt's health. Wyatt maintained his "puppiness" as most Labrador's do and had a clean bill of health at 10 years of age. When my father picked him up from the airport, he was socking, his blanket was gone and their was a water bucket the size of a mop bucket in his kennel. I was irrate when my mother phoned me in just the fact that their was a bucket that size in his kennel and that his blanket was gone. The amount of water in the bottom of the kennel and on Wyatt indicated the amount of water that was put in the bucket (with this comment, I consider the fact he is a water dog and it takes at least a good 5 minutes to sock his fur). Our disappointment came the following day when he was gone. My father and mother, knew he was acting odd, since, he had spent six months in their care when my husband was at a military school. He was urinating and burping quit a bit. They figured it was from the flight. They did not even think that with the stress plus the amount of water he must have consumed, that he was already blotting. Our Wyatt is gone and to the airlines, their staff was not responsible. When an owner follows all the rules posted on the airline website, but, the airlines does not, who fights for the rights of the living "cargo". As far as we are concerned, Wyatt, was a paying passenger (his ticket cost more one-way, then mine round-trip). It was to be a four hour flight with a pass-through in a major hub, a temperature controlled cargo area and we walked and watered him before flight and had his water dish attached to the inside front of the kennel. We did all for Wyatt and that is what gets me through this. He had the best of everything and some think that's just not right. Wyatt was our teacher. He taught us patience, unconditional love and most of all, he was always there when we needed him and we were there for him. I will remember the day we bought Wyatt and out came this bubbling yellow puppy straight to us. He was the only yellow lab in his litter. He was born near the Frio river in Texas. It is there, we will take him home. Thank you for listening.
Answer:
 i just wanted to say i am sorry for you your family and wyatt.i have always been afraid to fly with a pet judging from my luggage after a flight.it must be a horrible feeling to know that someone is responsible and not knowing who and not being able to confront them with not only your anger but your questions.i hope somehow you are able to find some justice and some answers to help you sleep at night.kyena died 2mnths ago and it is still just as difficult as the day it happend i can't even imagine how much worse it must be to be in your shoes with all of the extra questions left unanswered.again i am very sorry.kyena's forever loving mom