B.C. family seeks WestJet bereavement fare after chihuahua’s death

A Vancouver family wants WestJet to provide a partial refund for a flight purchased when their 16-year-old chihuahua Bandit was dying.

Rachel Thexton and her family, including Bandit, were on a spring break trip to Palm Springs in mid-March. One day before they were due to return to Vancouver, the dog became sick.

“I knew something wasn’t right,” she said. “He was having trouble breathing at night.”

After contacting the dog’s vet, Thexton called Expedia and bumped the family’s flights one day forward for $2,000. A day later, Bandit was euthanized in Vancouver.

“It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do,” she said. “He was my shadow.”