Now supermodel Maggie Rizer claims United Airlines LIED to her about sending dog that died in crate aboard plane for postmortem exam

• Bea, the couple's two-year-old dog, died of heatstroke while aboard the United flight according to an autopsy report
• Owners say they paid $1,800 in addition to their plane tickets to transport their two dogs on United's PetSafe program
  

By Nina Golgowski and Snejana Farberov

Published: 11:50 EDT, 22 September 2012 | Updated: 11:54 EDT, 22 September 2012

Supermodel Maggie Rizer went on the offensive against United Airlines on Saturday, claiming that the air carrier first killed her two-year-old golden retriever, and then lied about investigating her death.

Rizer said she and her husband were flying from New York City across the country to San Francisco two weeks ago, and they brought their two beloved pets along for the flight.

In an interview with PEOPLE, the model insisted that the two-year-old Bea was in perfect health when they placed her in the crate in the underbelly of the plane.

Killed: Bea, a two-year-old golden retriever died earlier this month from heatstroke, according to a veterinarian's report, suffered while travelling on a United Airlines flight

But when the couple went to retrieve the pooch along with their other dog upon arrival in San Francisco, they were told matter-of-factly by airline officials that Bea was dead.

To add insult to injury, Rizer told TMZ that United then lied to her, saying that they sent Bea to a veterinary to perform a necropsy in order to determine the cause of death.

But the outraged pet owner said that never happened, and the dead dog was left languishing in her crate.

Attack: Bea's owner is model Maggie Rizer, who blasted the airline over her pet's death

'I am so saddened by the complete lack of competence, honestly and compassion that United has shown,' Rizer stated.

United Airlines was not immediately available for comment on the allegations.

Bea was healthy and prepared for her flight across the country, according to the doting dog owner who says she took every precaution to ensure the dog's safety.

So when the model, her husband Alex Mehran and their 10-month-old son Zander landed in San Francisco from New York earlier this month, the last thing they expected to hear was that one of their two dogs didn't make it.

'We drove to the dark cargo terminal and on arrival in the hangar were told simply, “One of them is dead” by the emotionless worker who seemed more interested in his text messages,' Maggie wrote in a heated web post on Thursday titled: 'United Airlines Killed Our Golden Retriever.'

Having heard stories of pets not surviving flights before - though Bea and her other two dogs Al and Hen have flown previously - the nervous owner says she took every precaution her and her husband could think of to ensure their safety, including a full health examination four days before, as required by United's PetSafe flight program.

After a six-hour drive to New York City to avoid a connecting flight that could potentially stress or separate their dogs, she says she paid the airline $1,800 in addition to their plane tickets to ensure their pets' safety as passengers.

However, it seems that the airline failed to keep its promises about the dogs.

'[The airline] didn't even have an excuse,' she told PEOPLE Magazine this week.

After retrieving their dog's body, which they were originally told had already been sent to a local vet for an autopsy, Maggie’s own veterinarian determined that Bea had died from heatstroke.

‘She died 30 feet below us, alone and scared. Nobody was there to help her because someone made a mistake,’ Maggie told PEOPLE of the dog that had been given to the couple at their wedding in 2010.

Healthy and loved: The golden retriever, seen cuddling with Maggie's husband Alex Mehran, had undergone a health inspection just four days before their flight from New York to San Francisco, California

Family: Bea was one of three dogs belonging to the couple, Al and Hen pictured with them, after gifted at their wedding in 2010

'We understand that the loss of a beloved pet is difficult and express our condolences to Ms Rizer and her family for their loss,’ United told PEOPLE in a statement.

'After careful review, we found there were no mechanical operational issues with Bea's flight and also determined she was in a temperature-controlled environment for her entire journey. We would like [to] finalize the review but are unable until we receive a copy of the necropsy.’

'I am disappointed by United's statement and continued show of disrespect,' Maggie retorted in her own written statement on her Facebook page on Thursday.

Despite her anger the model, married to an IBM heir, writes that she doesn't plan to file a lawsuit or become an advocate against the airline.

Stern warning: Bea is seen snoozing in Maggie's home in an earlier taken photo, with the heartbroken owner now warning pet owners about flying with their pets

'I am writing this to help make people aware that airlines are incapable of ensuring the safety of our pets. All it takes is for one employee to not follow the proper procedure and then like me, your dog is dead.'

Responding to condolences on her Facebook page this week, Maggie showed her appreciation for her compassionate friends and fans.

'Thank you for the kind thoughts. She was an amazing dog with a heart of gold. So incredibly happy and sweet, so lovable. We still cannot believe she is gone. She will be missed more then I can express. My heart is broken and forever changed.'