It’s a good time to avoid air travel in the United States right now, if you can. There’s a partial government shutdown caused by a disagreement in funding for the Department of Homeland Security: Democrats want meaningful restrictions put on ICE before sending any funding their way, while Republicans want Daddy Don to love them. So TSA agents are working without pay, or calling out so that they can go work another job that will pay them, which translates into security lines being backed up for hours. But don’t worry, this week Trump started deploying ICE agents to “assist” TSA at certain airports, a move TSA union leaders call a risk to passenger safety. All that to say, if you have to travel, be early and be prepared! And by prepared, I mean everything from having all the appropriate forms of identification you need, bringing snacks to avoid getting hangry, and routinely checking in with all airport/airline/flight updates. And if you’re not flying solo, but instead, say, with a dog, then make sure you have all the proper paperwork filled out! Yup folks, we have another heinous incident of a human abandoning their dog at the airport:
A Texas man is facing animal cruelty charges after police say he abandoned a puppy outside of a Pennsylvania airport.
According to a report by local news outlet WDBJ7, the incident unfolded around 5 p.m. on Friday, March 20, at Pittsburgh International Airport, where officers were alerted to a dog running loose near the departures drop-off. With the help of bystanders, officers safely secured the animal, identified as a Labrador retriever puppy.
According to a March 20 Facebook post from the Allegheny County Police Department, county police spoke with the dog’s owner, who initially claimed he had seen a rideshare driver abandon the dog. But authorities later determined that the owner left the puppy behind after realizing he could not fly with the animal.
The dog’s owner is facing charges for animal cruelty and animal abandonment, according to the police department’s post.
PEOPLE reached out to the Allegheny County Police Department for further details and have yet to receive a response.
The puppy, meanwhile, is now safe and recovering. According to the police department, the dog has been placed in foster care following the incident and is “doing well.”
The case marks another troubling instance of a pet being left behind at the busy airport.
In a 2023 incident, as reported by the Associated Press, a traveler abandoned their brown-and-white male French bulldog at Pittsburgh International Airport after being told the dog could not board a flight without proper paperwork proving it was an emotional support dog.
2026 is still young and yet this is the second time I’m covering a dog abandoned at the airport story! I’m barking mad!! Remember JetBlue, the Goldendoodle who was left alone at the Las Vegas airport and then rescued by cops, one of whom later adopted the pooch? That was only last month! I’m glad in both cases that the police pressed charges. I just don’t understand A) ever going to the airport casually, without all aspects of your travel confirmed, and B) when that doesn’t work out, choosing to LEAVE YOUR DOG BEHIND. I mean, look at the photo of the sweet Labrador pup with his pleading eyes staring into the cop who saved him — HOW could someone leave that face?? This isn’t like when they won’t let you take your too-large sunscreen bottle so you trash it; dogs are living beings totally dependent on us when we take on the responsibility of being their person. I can’t believe I have to say this again, but if you’re at the airport and find out you can’t fly with your dog, then you’re not catching that flight, period. Also, I know they didn’t release a lot of info, but from the little we got that guy’s story was sus. Trying to pawn off the crime on a driver? Despicable.
The Allegheny County PD has updated us on the little Lab’s progress. He’s been placed in a foster home and is not available for adoption at this time. Their original Facebook post is littered (puppy pun!) with comments from people asking for adoption info. Take courage, young floof, your best days are upon you!
My god, what is wrong with our society? Is everything disposable now? I am glad they pressed charges. Who does something like this!?
Exactly. There’s something seriously wrong with a person who does this. He never deserved that sweet puppy. I hope he finds a safe and deserving home.
What a d-bag! If my dogs can’t go I don’t go either. Put him under the dog house! So many just really lack an empathy chip these days. It’s a big part of what’s wrong with the world.
Leaving dog with Pet sitters or boarding at veterinarians before going on a trip is what is done. Ditching an animal is evil.
Sad to say, the luckiest day (so far) of that puppy’s life was the day that cretin left him at the terminal. I’m so sick of people getting puppers and then neglecting them! WTAF🤬
Seriously. That guy doesn’t deserve such a gorgeous pup. And if he’s from Texas & going home from from PA, did he pick up the dog there? Did he travel from Texas with the dog? This makes no sense. I love the response from the police–this little guy is not available at this time, but lots of others are!
What a beautiful boy! I guess the bright side is that it seems like he will have a MUCH better life than he would have with the POS who left him.
Like Kismet, I cannot understand how someone could look at that puppy’s beautiful face and then walk away … I mean, I find it hard to go to work in the morning when my dog looks at me with her big, beautiful brown eyes.
For sure, better days are ahead for that lovely dog.
Gorgeous pup. He’ll find a good home, soon, I hope.
Oh my gooooooooooood. Those eyes. We have a rescue dog who is still terrified of everyone and everything. He came to us at 4 months. He’s never really recovered from a rough start. We’ve had him half a decade. None of it was his fault. We’ve pondered getting a second dog to help him regulate (if dogs can emotionally regulate, which, I believe, they definitely do.) and this one just makes me sigh. I wish I could scoop him.
My first generation of labs I had were a rescued brother and sister pair I got when they were about 4/5 months old. The person who rescued them initially found them by the highway when they were 8-9 weeks old, but didn’t want to keep them so he kept them shut in his garage with minimal contact until I got them. I was going to take just one, but the girl dog was so clearly dependent on her brother I got them both.
Skittles was scared of garbage cans, stop signs and road signs (initially), and it took almost two years to be confident enough that unexpected signage wasn’t going to eat her. She did calm down with age, but she was always nervous. Her brother helped a lot, and about every other year they would get out and be running down a major street. After she had an aneurysm (? Or something, we didn’t pay to test for actual cause) and passed, her brother never ran off again because he had always just gone with her to keep her safe 😭
All that to say, another dog might help, but only if it’s not a puppy that gets molded into her fears. They are special pups.
Dogs definitely emotionally regulate. One HUGE point to note, however, if you do get a second dog. Make sure that second dog is happy and confident (and easy-going), because if you have two nervous nellies, their negative energy will feed off each other in a downward spiral. They are social animals. They know.
😭😢😳😔☺️🥲😌. …..I have so many emotions about this story!!!!! Bless you, you took care of them.
I loathe people that treat dogs like an accessory. It’s not a freaking purse. You can’t just leave it behind.
As terrible as this is – I think it’s for the best that these kinds of people do not have dogs or pets of any kind.
This is a great example of why pet ownership should be more regulated. Any knucklehead can buy a dog but money doesn’t make you a knowledgeable, caring pet parent.