Narrative:

Upon arriving in ZZZ on feb/xa/01, were notified of aircraft swap for round trip flight to lga. Ground time from block-in to scheduled departure was 30 mins. Accomplished required preflight activities on aircraft xyz including consulting MEL for procedures for inoperative primary and secondary radio rack cooling fans. MEL indicated no live animals allowed in cargo bins. Ground crew mistakenly loaded several small dogs in forward cargo bin, did not notify us that they had done so. Load closeout message normally indicates when live animals are in bins, but due to MEL this message was not on closeout. Unaware we departed for lga. During climb through FL280, received SELCAL from dispatch. Notified us we had to return due to dogs loaded in bin. Descended to 10000 ft and hurried back to ZZZ. Total time airborne was 44 mins. Outside air temperature at time of departure was -3 degrees C. Notified passenger regarding diversion and determined dogs were traveling without escort. Upon arrival, personally inspected all animals and found them to be fine with no apparent effects. Refueled, unloaded dogs and again departed for lga. Believe schedule pressures may have contributed to this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH LIVE ANIMALS LOADED IN THE CARGO PIT WHICH WAS UNHEATED DUE TO INOP RADIO RACK COOLING FANS.

Narrative: UPON ARRIVING IN ZZZ ON FEB/XA/01, WERE NOTIFIED OF ACFT SWAP FOR ROUND TRIP FLT TO LGA. GND TIME FROM BLOCK-IN TO SCHEDULED DEP WAS 30 MINS. ACCOMPLISHED REQUIRED PREFLT ACTIVITIES ON ACFT XYZ INCLUDING CONSULTING MEL FOR PROCS FOR INOP PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RADIO RACK COOLING FANS. MEL INDICATED NO LIVE ANIMALS ALLOWED IN CARGO BINS. GND CREW MISTAKENLY LOADED SEVERAL SMALL DOGS IN FORWARD CARGO BIN, DID NOT NOTIFY US THAT THEY HAD DONE SO. LOAD CLOSEOUT MESSAGE NORMALLY INDICATES WHEN LIVE ANIMALS ARE IN BINS, BUT DUE TO MEL THIS MESSAGE WAS NOT ON CLOSEOUT. UNAWARE WE DEPARTED FOR LGA. DURING CLB THROUGH FL280, RECEIVED SELCAL FROM DISPATCH. NOTIFIED US WE HAD TO RETURN DUE TO DOGS LOADED IN BIN. DSNDED TO 10000 FT AND HURRIED BACK TO ZZZ. TOTAL TIME AIRBORNE WAS 44 MINS. OUTSIDE AIR TEMP AT TIME OF DEP WAS -3 DEGS C. NOTIFIED PAX REGARDING DIVERSION AND DETERMINED DOGS WERE TRAVELING WITHOUT ESCORT. UPON ARR, PERSONALLY INSPECTED ALL ANIMALS AND FOUND THEM TO BE FINE WITH NO APPARENT EFFECTS. REFUELED, UNLOADED DOGS AND AGAIN DEPARTED FOR LGA. BELIEVE SCHEDULE PRESSURES MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.