An Air Canada pilot is being bigged up to the moon this week after saving a dog’s life by diverting a flight from Tel Aviv to Toronto after a heating system malfunction in the plane’s cargo area.

Featured Image VIA

It was the first time that 7 year old French bulldog Simba had ever been on a plane when the pilot noticed the problem as the plane was about to head over the Atlantic Ocean, where temperatures would have plummeted and likely resulted in Simba freezing to death.

The pilot made the snap decision to land the plane in Frankfurt, Germany where the dog was placed on another flight and the plane continued on to Toronto.

Naturally the dog’s owner is super grateful once they were reunited at Pearson Airport.

It’s my dog, it’s like my child. It’s everything to me.

The pilot’s decision meant the flight was delayed by 75 minutes and tacked on an extra $10,000 in fuel costs, but aviation expert Phyl Durby says the pilot absolutely did the right thing:

If you look at the outside temperature, if it’s minus 50 or 60, there is some insulation but it will probably still get down to below freezing (in the cargo area). The captain is responsible for all lives on board, whether it’s human or K-9.

Image VIA

What a hero. I bet this pilot is one of those people who would probably be more upset if a dog died on his flight than a human. Probably would have risked completing the flight if it was a human whose life was potentially in danger; 50/50 chance that human is an arsehole anyway. But the thing with dogs is that none of them are arseholes. 75 minute delay and $10,000? Peanuts when it involves saving a dog’s life. Respect.

Wonder if Etihad Airlines would have done the same – considering they don’t even let ginger people fly with them.