A woman abandons her French bulldog in a short-term parking lot at Pittsburgh Airport to board her flight after being told she cannot take her pet without a crate
- A woman has been accused of abandoning animals after carelessly leaving her dog at the airport
- She was reportedly told that her French bulldog could only fly in a crate, prompting her to drop the pooch in a short-term parking lot
- Officers arrived at Pittsburgh International Airport around 5:30 a.m. Friday to rescue the dog
A woman has been charged with recklessly leaving her dog in a Pittsburgh airport parking lot after being told she could not bring the pet on board without a crate.
According to the Allagheny County Police Department, the woman’s French bulldog was found “unattended in a stroller” around 5:30 a.m. Friday morning near a short-term parking lot at Pittsburgh International Airport.
Using a microchip in the dog’s neck, officers were able to locate the owner but said their attempts to contact the unidentified woman were unsuccessful.
Luckily, the seven-year-old dog was in good health after the ordeal and was taken to a local animal shelter where he is now hoping for a new, friendlier home.
While many on social media said the dog would be better off without its owner, the eager aviator could now face an animal abandonment charge from the state of Pennsylvania’s canine warden.
The French bulldog was rescued by Allagheny County Police after being abandoned in the airport’s short-term parking lot around 5:30 a.m. Friday
The woman made the shameful decision to leave the dog at the airport after failing to convince airline staff it was an emotional support animal, Sgt. Jason Donaldson of the Allagheny County Police Department said to WTAE TV.
He added that the woman then went on with her vacation and flew to a resort without the dog, although he didn’t reveal where she was flying to.
“We were able to determine that the owner of the dog tried to fly with the dog this morning and was denied boarding because he had the wrong cargo container,” he added.
Police said they now expect the state canine officer to file a complaint for abandoning animals, which carries a maximum fine of up to $1,000.
The pup was taken to the local animal shelter, Animal Friends. After picking up the dog, a statement said: Police officers from Animal Friends Humane Society are investigating the case and are considering possible charges.
“The dog remains on hold and Animal Friends is pleased to provide the necessary treatment and supportive care the dog requires until this case is resolved.”
The abandonment comes seven months after another pup, Stella (pictured), was left tied up outside an Iowa airport when her owner realized he didn’t have a crate
It comes months after a New Jersey man was charged with multiple offenses including neglect and animal abandonment after leaving his dog tied outside an Iowa airport so he could catch a flight home.
Bigsen Charles, 24, claims he wasn’t aware he needed a kennel for transporting his pup on the plane and made the same decision as the Pittsburgh woman last week when he too left the pup outside the airport and on his trip competed alone instead.
When airport officials saw the abandoned dog, they immediately contacted the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, which resulted in adorable footage of the dog beaming while playing with the shelter’s staff.
Charles admitted to at the time that he “knows he made the wrong decision”.