Narrative:

We arrived at our gate for a departure to ZZZZ about 50 mins prior. Everything progressed normally as we went through our preflight duties. A hazmat form was given to my first officer during the walkaround by one of the ramp personnel. I reviewed it, noted it was for a package of dry ice weighing 20 kgs. I noted its location and that it was well below our limit for dry ice. We prepared for departure and waited while cargo was loaded. We finally closed up and were ready to go about 15 mins after scheduled departure. We pushed back and started engines, all was normal. During taxi out, we had a delay waiting for closeout due to a lack of final cargo numbers. Finally, we received the closeout. It was compared against our information, and all weights, wind and temperatures were normal. Also, the restr article was listed on the closeout. We proceeded with our departure. After about 1 hour 20 mins into the flight, we received an ACARS message to attempt to contact dispatch. This took some time to accomplish. Once contact with dispatch was established, we were told that a live animal had been loaded in the same compartment as the restr article. After a discussion with dispatch, the decision was made to land in YYYY and have the restricted article moved to another compartment. When we contacted YYYY control, we informed them of our intentions to land and then declared an emergency due to our overweight landing, 326000 pounds. A normal approach and landing followed. After about 1 hour on the ground, we departed for ZZZZ. Normally, the crew chief informs the flight crew of any live animals that were loaded, either during the walkaround or during pushback. This did not happen. The live animal was noted on the closeout as well as the restr article. We noted the restr article and its location, perhaps, because we had paperwork to back it up, but we did not note the live animal on the closeout. Maybe we were rushing to comply to try to minimize our departure delay, I don't know. I do think that the flight crew needs to be better informed of the carriage of live animals, something other than just, 'live animal 01' on the closeout. Supplemental information from acn 629075: we made a normal approach and landing and, after the dry ice was changed to a different cargo compartment, we departed for ZZZZ again about 1 hour later. I think we should also receive paperwork when we are carrying a live animal on board. The dog was fine.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A300-600 FLT CREW RPTED THAT BEFORE DEPARTING MIA FOR A FLT, THEY WERE NOTIFIED OF DRY ICE ON BOARD BUT NOT OF A LIVE ANIMAL. BOTH WERE LOADED INTO THE SAME CARGO BIN WHICH CAUSED THE COMPANY TO DIVERT THE FLT ENRTE IN ORDER TO SEPARATE THE TWO.

Narrative: WE ARRIVED AT OUR GATE FOR A DEP TO ZZZZ ABOUT 50 MINS PRIOR. EVERYTHING PROGRESSED NORMALLY AS WE WENT THROUGH OUR PREFLT DUTIES. A HAZMAT FORM WAS GIVEN TO MY FO DURING THE WALKAROUND BY ONE OF THE RAMP PERSONNEL. I REVIEWED IT, NOTED IT WAS FOR A PACKAGE OF DRY ICE WEIGHING 20 KGS. I NOTED ITS LOCATION AND THAT IT WAS WELL BELOW OUR LIMIT FOR DRY ICE. WE PREPARED FOR DEP AND WAITED WHILE CARGO WAS LOADED. WE FINALLY CLOSED UP AND WERE READY TO GO ABOUT 15 MINS AFTER SCHEDULED DEP. WE PUSHED BACK AND STARTED ENGS, ALL WAS NORMAL. DURING TAXI OUT, WE HAD A DELAY WAITING FOR CLOSEOUT DUE TO A LACK OF FINAL CARGO NUMBERS. FINALLY, WE RECEIVED THE CLOSEOUT. IT WAS COMPARED AGAINST OUR INFO, AND ALL WTS, WIND AND TEMPS WERE NORMAL. ALSO, THE RESTR ARTICLE WAS LISTED ON THE CLOSEOUT. WE PROCEEDED WITH OUR DEP. AFTER ABOUT 1 HR 20 MINS INTO THE FLT, WE RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE TO ATTEMPT TO CONTACT DISPATCH. THIS TOOK SOME TIME TO ACCOMPLISH. ONCE CONTACT WITH DISPATCH WAS ESTABLISHED, WE WERE TOLD THAT A LIVE ANIMAL HAD BEEN LOADED IN THE SAME COMPARTMENT AS THE RESTR ARTICLE. AFTER A DISCUSSION WITH DISPATCH, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO LAND IN YYYY AND HAVE THE RESTRICTED ARTICLE MOVED TO ANOTHER COMPARTMENT. WHEN WE CONTACTED YYYY CTL, WE INFORMED THEM OF OUR INTENTIONS TO LAND AND THEN DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO OUR OVERWT LNDG, 326000 LBS. A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG FOLLOWED. AFTER ABOUT 1 HR ON THE GND, WE DEPARTED FOR ZZZZ. NORMALLY, THE CREW CHIEF INFORMS THE FLT CREW OF ANY LIVE ANIMALS THAT WERE LOADED, EITHER DURING THE WALKAROUND OR DURING PUSHBACK. THIS DID NOT HAPPEN. THE LIVE ANIMAL WAS NOTED ON THE CLOSEOUT AS WELL AS THE RESTR ARTICLE. WE NOTED THE RESTR ARTICLE AND ITS LOCATION, PERHAPS, BECAUSE WE HAD PAPERWORK TO BACK IT UP, BUT WE DID NOT NOTE THE LIVE ANIMAL ON THE CLOSEOUT. MAYBE WE WERE RUSHING TO COMPLY TO TRY TO MINIMIZE OUR DEP DELAY, I DON'T KNOW. I DO THINK THAT THE FLT CREW NEEDS TO BE BETTER INFORMED OF THE CARRIAGE OF LIVE ANIMALS, SOMETHING OTHER THAN JUST, 'LIVE ANIMAL 01' ON THE CLOSEOUT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 629075: WE MADE A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG AND, AFTER THE DRY ICE WAS CHANGED TO A DIFFERENT CARGO COMPARTMENT, WE DEPARTED FOR ZZZZ AGAIN ABOUT 1 HR LATER. I THINK WE SHOULD ALSO RECEIVE PAPERWORK WHEN WE ARE CARRYING A LIVE ANIMAL ON BOARD. THE DOG WAS FINE.

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.