A Jack Russell cross appeared in the witness box at a court as its owner gave evidence for an airline accused of transporting the dog illegally.

Monarch Airlines pleaded not guilty to flying the dog in a container which contravened animal welfare and International Air Transport Association guidelines from Faro in Portugal to Gatwick in April.

Tim Moores, prosecuting for West Sussex County Council trading standards, told Crawley Magistrates Court the dog, called Ginger, was being brought back from Portugal by its owner, Dutch-born Simone Vis, who now lives in the UK.

He said the travelling container supplied by Miss Vis was too small, lacked rear ventilation and did not have a receptacle for water during the scheduled two-hour, 50-minute flight.

Initially cargo agents for Monarch at Faro refused to accept the dog because it was being checked in much later than the allotted time.

Mr Moores said: "Miss Vis was stressed and tearful at the refusal."

He said Miss Vis had said if the dog could not travel neither would she.

Because of existing security regulations this would have meant her luggage being off-loaded and the flight delayed.

He said: "The airline was put in a difficult position but it should have stood firm. It buckled to commercial expediency and allowed the dog on the flight. This may have been good customer relations but it contravened the IATA rules.

"There is no suggestion that Ginger suffered any physical harm or distress during the journey. However, the airline was guilty of an absolute offence in not ensuring the container met requirements."

Miss Vis, a catering executive now living at Mowbray Chase, Leeds, told the court: "I have taken him on aircraft in that container before with no problems. I did get upset when I thought we were not going to be able to fly. It is true I made a bit of a scene."

Geoff Atkinson, Monarch's group lawyer and company secretary, conceded that the container did not precisely comply with IATA standards but quoted previous precedents to support that the company had "a lawful and reasonable excuse" to allow Ginger to travel.

The company was found guilty and fined £3,000 with £2,174 costs.