Cute Stowaway Found At LaGuardia: Check Your Luggage
An alarm sounded as a suitcase passed through screening equipment at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, and airport security agents went into search mode, expecting to find weapons or other illegal items to be confiscated. What they found surprised even seasoned agents: a Chihuahua staring back at them when they searched the questionable suitcase.
Dogs often want to accompany their owners and some get excited when they see them about to depart, attempting to follow. But this dog was a real stowaway. The owner was unaware that the little guy snuck into the baggage, which she had checked. The owner’s name hasn’t been released.
Alisa Farbstein, a spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), indicated that the owner was as surprised as the TSA agents who found the seven-year-old stowaway, according to Reuters. She stated the following.
“She was just as surprised as we were. The woman said that the dog must have climbed into the suitcase and curled up in the clothing while she was packing for her trip.”
It was lucky that the pint-sized canine was discovered on March 3, because the luggage was otherwise headed for the American Airline’s cargo hold. Airlines have special provisions for dogs to travel, and the cargo hold temperatures may vary from those required for dogs.
The woman traveler was happily reunited with her Chihuahua, and her husband took the sneaky pet home. It wasn’t clear whether the woman arrived at her destination as planned.
On its Instragram account, the TSA showed it has a sense of humor, while reminding people to re-check their luggage prior to departure, as stated in Sky News.
“#TSATravelTips – Ay, #Chihuahua! It’s always important to double check your bags before traveling.”
Can you imagine how shocked the TSA agents were when they saw the adorable Chihuahua? Quite a bit different than the normal contraband they find, or the human stowaways for whom they need to be on the alert.
As stated in an Inquisitr article, there was a human stowaway airport agents sought out named Marilyn Hartman, who earned the title “Serial Stowaway.” She was known to attempt — with some success — to seek out a free flight. Unlike her canine counterpart, after her arrest Hartman was found to suffer from a “major mental illness,” and she was admitted to a mental health facility from which she exited five days later.
Have you ever had a funny stowaway when traveling? Have any of your pets attempted to sneak away with you when you travel?
[Photo Courtesy SKY News]
