A dog, reportedly abandoned by its owner at Pittsburgh International Airport in Pennsylvania, is now available for adoption, as the owner faces charges of animal cruelty and neglect.
The Allegheny County Police Department, which discovered the male dog left “unattended in a stroller” in the airport’s short-term parking area earlier this month, announced via social media that the dog is seeking a new home, and the owner has been formally charged with the deliberate abandonment of the animal.
The police statement read, “We can now confirm that charges have been filed against the dog’s owner. Investigators determined that the owner intentionally left the dog near the short-term parking area before boarding a flight to a resort destination in Mexico.”
The former owner is facing charges of animal cruelty, neglect, and abandonment, which have been issued through a summons. The preliminary hearing for the owner is scheduled for October 16, as stated by an Allegheny County police spokesperson to USA TODAY.
It is important to note that abandoning a dog is illegal under Pennsylvania law.
The brown-and-white male French bulldog, which was allegedly left behind by its owner at Pittsburgh International Airport, is currently thriving in foster care and is available for adoption.
On the morning of August 4, police received a report about an unattended male dog found in a stroller. Attempts were made to contact the owner using the dog’s microchip but were unsuccessful.
According to authorities, the owner had attempted to bring her brown-and-white male French bulldog on a flight departing from Pittsburgh International Airport. However, the airline refused to board the dog because it did not meet the criteria for an emotional support animal and lacked a proper kennel, as required.
Security camera footage revealed that the owner left the airport’s ticket counter, pushing the dog in a stroller toward the short-term parking lot. She was later seen heading to an area where the dog was discovered unattended 40 minutes later.
Upon her return from the trip on August 10, a county police sergeant confronted the owner. She admitted to leaving the dog behind due to the airline’s refusal but claimed she had arranged for her mother to pick up the animal from the airport.
However, authorities stated that they did not find immediate evidence of these arrangements after reviewing her text conversation with her mother. The owner’s mother, when questioned by the police, indicated that she only learned about the incident when her daughter’s ex-husband shared a news story about the dog being abandoned at the airport.
In the meantime, the dog is under the care of the rescue shelter Animal Friends of Pittsburgh and is reported to be doing well.
In a similar incident earlier this year, a man from New Jersey left his dog tied up outside the Des Moines International Airport in Iowa when he was informed that he couldn’t fly with the dog without an appropriate kennel. He proceeded to board his flight and was subsequently charged with a misdemeanor. The dog has since been adopted by another family.
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