American Airlines fights back after man claims his dog was deemed too heavy to fly

American Airlines is fighting back after a man claimed his dog was deemed over the weight limit to board the plane.

Lachlan Markay, went viral on Twitter on July 3rd after posting a photo of his beloved dog, Lou.

“Super cool of American Air to destroy our holiday travel plans because Lou is five pounds over the weight limit,” tweeted Lachlan Markay, a reporter at the Daily Beast. “Never had a problem on AA or any other airline, so I sure know which one I'm never booking with again.”

But a spokesperson for American Airlines told Fox News that it wasn’t Lou’s weight that prevented the pup from coming aboard the flight, which was headed from Reagan National Airport in Washington DC to Miami. Instead, the airline said they were acting in the pet’s best interest.

“American has policies in place to protect pets that travel on American Airlines. Our policy states on aa.com: Pets must be able to stand up, turn around and lie down in a natural position in their kennel (without touching any side or the top of the container),” the airline said in a statement to Fox News. “Lou was unable to comply with those requirements, which was reiterated to Mr. Markay. Lou's weight was never the concern, but it was the size of the kennel.”

Despite the controversy, Markay and his canine companion were allowed to board the plane together. Markay later provided a “PUPDATE,” sharing that the airline “decided to make an exception” and allowed Lou to fly.

American Airlines confirmed to Fox News that they had “one time exception” for Lou. However, in the future, the airline confirmed that Lou would need to “utilize a different kennel.” Despite the uproar, both Markay and Lou made it on the plane, and even managed to make a new friend from afar.

After flying on Southwest Airlines on Sunday, Markay tweeted an update, picturing Lou looking lovingly up at his owner as he sat under his seat.

“Well that was easy and hassle free,” Markay wrote.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

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• Man offers a 1-bedroom home to anyone who can reunite him with lost dog: 'She's part of my family'

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