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.