Narrative:

After pushback and taxi out to runway 28L we were unable to get our final weights. Upon checking with load planning we were advised to return to the departure gate for 'load adjustments.' when we arrived back at the gate we were informed that hazardous materials were loaded (dry ice) in the same aft baggage area with an animal in a kennel. We had received no preliminary or final dangerous goods information either in paper form or over ACARS. Upon arrival back at the gate we learned that our freight department had accepted these shipments of perishable products with dry ice without any acceptable labeling or preparation of a hazardous materials documentation. We asked for details and were advised by ramp personnel that they had not been notified of this situation either. Apparently it was discovered after the fact. The offending hazardous materials pallets were removed from the aft cargo area and we were again ready for pushback. When ramp came on the service phone for pushback I (captain) asked for more details about whether or not the animal was okay. (I had never been notified of an animal on board either!) there was more confusion at this point. Ultimately; it was a ramp supervisor who came on the headset and said the animal was okay. During this conversation; he said all hazardous materials were removed from the aft cargo area; but that some remained in the forward cargo area. We still had not received any pilot notification of any hazardous materials either in paper form or from the ACARS. I asked them to bring it to me manually. Ramp said they had no paperwork on this hazmat either and nothing to give to us. After consultation and several calls to dispatch and the company; we received the ACARS notification and departed. This delay caused our customers unnecessary difficulty at our destination when many were scheduled to connect to other flights. We hope there will be an investigation about why and how these hazardous materials were accepted and boarded without the required process and review.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Air Carrier flight crew was told to return to their gate because HAZMAT was loaded in the same baggage area as a live animal. The crew had not received anything hard copy or via ACARS with any HAZMAT information prior to their departure.

Narrative: After pushback and taxi out to Runway 28L we were unable to get our final weights. Upon checking with Load Planning we were advised to return to the departure gate for 'load adjustments.' When we arrived back at the gate we were informed that hazardous materials were loaded (dry ice) in the same aft baggage area with an animal in a kennel. We had received NO preliminary or final dangerous goods information either in paper form or over ACARS. Upon arrival back at the gate we learned that our freight department had accepted these shipments of perishable products with dry ice without any acceptable labeling or preparation of a hazardous materials documentation. We asked for details and were advised by ramp personnel that they had not been notified of this situation either. Apparently it was discovered after the fact. The offending hazardous materials pallets were removed from the aft cargo area and we were again ready for pushback. When ramp came on the service phone for pushback I (Captain) asked for more details about whether or not the animal was okay. (I had never been notified of an animal on board either!) There was more confusion at this point. Ultimately; it was a Ramp Supervisor who came on the headset and said the animal was okay. During this conversation; he said all hazardous materials were removed from the aft cargo area; but that some remained in the forward cargo area. We still had not received any pilot notification of any hazardous materials either in paper form or from the ACARS. I asked them to bring it to me manually. Ramp said they had no paperwork on this HAZMAT either and nothing to give to us. After consultation and several calls to Dispatch and the company; we received the ACARS notification and departed. This delay caused our customers unnecessary difficulty at our destination when many were scheduled to connect to other flights. We hope there will be an investigation about why and how these hazardous materials were accepted and boarded without the required process and review.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.