The owner of a boxer dog that died on a Qantas flight says she is unimpressed by the airline's moves to suspend the carriage of snub-nosed dogs and introduce new health requirements in response to the tragedy. Kay Newman says the real issue is what the airline is doing to stop dogs being left out on the tarmac. Newman has accused Qantas of negligence in the death of her beloved boxer, Duke, during hot weather on a December 19 Sydney-Brisbane flight. A bulldog called Frank also died two days later in a separate incident on a flight from Sydney to Melbourne. In Duke's case, Newman accused the airline of leaving the boxer on the airport tarmac on 39C heat for more than an hour as he was waiting to be loaded on an aircraft. READ: 'Very close' Qantas flights came within 800m of each other. She alleges it was this, rather respiratory issues, that led to his death and that Qantas did not exercise its duty of care. Instead, she says, the airline treated Duke “as though he was nothing but luggage and as a result, he suffered an unimaginable death”. “I was beside myself, all I could do was scream no, no, no,” she said on a Facebook post that drew international attention. “I demanded to see Duke because I didn’t want to believe what was happening. “Duke was still in the crate and when I reached in and put my arms around him, I knew immediately why he died because the heat coming from the underside of his body, and the bottom of his crate, was immense.” Announcing the new regulations on Friday, Qantas said increasingly popular snub-nosed breeds were at significantly higher risk of health complications due to their short snouts and respiratory systems. “These risks are compounded by warm weather,’’ it said. The airline said it was working with the RSPCA and other animal experts to finalize additional measures which include requiring all snub-nosed dogs to be cleared to fly by a registered vet immediately prior to travel. It noted the requirement applied to snub-nosed breeds and not to other types of dogs, The airline strongly recommended that customers who want to ship the dogs use registered animal shipping companies with vets at major capital city airports. It also said it was taking “a longer-term review” of airport equipment to provide further tarmac protection for vulnerable breeds in extreme weather and is reinforcing procedures for minimizing time on tarmac. “We already have special procedures in place for these vulnerable breeds and the simple thing for us would have been to introduce a blanket ban,’’ Qantas freight chief customer officer Nick McGlynn said. “We know many owners love to take their pets with them when they travel, so we’re designing a way to help reduce the risks that are inherent with these particular breeds. “These types of dogs are hugely popular but unfortunately they are high-risk flyers due to their respiratory system and breathing problems.” But Duke’s owner said Saturday that Qantas was in damage control in “a desperate move to make them look like they are doing something”. “I want to know what steps they are taking to prevent animals from being left out on the tarmac,’’ she said. “That's the real issue.” The changes were welcomed by RSPCA Australia’s senior scientific officer Dr. Sara Zito, who said flat-faced breeds faced particular risk from air transport, particularly in summer. “Their extreme features mean they often struggle to breathe and regulate their body temperature effectively, even in mild conditions, let alone at the hottest times of the year or on a plane,” she said. The airline said it transported more than 40,000 pets a year across its domestic network, including some 2000 snub-nosed dogs, and took its responsibility for transporting the animals “very seriously’.