Terrible Person Alert — an unidentified woman abandoned her elderly, abused dog at the Tampa International Airport. According to ABC Action News, she didn’t have the correct paperwork to travel with the pup.
So, her solution was to drop the leash and leave him in the middle of an airport! Honestly, the nerve and gross selfishness of some people.
It’s not only an awful — and illegal — thing to do to your dog, but it’s also disgustingly rude to dump your responsibility on airport staff. Rude isn’t a harsh enough word, really.
Folks At Tampa International Airport Are Shocked
(Picture Credit: Paul Hennessy/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)Airport police and staff are not easily shocked because they’ve seen it all. But the Tampa International Airport Police Chief, Charlie Vazquez, says he’s “never seen anything like it.”
Currently, this airport requires anyone who travels with a dog to provide vaccination papers for both themselves and their dog. When this was asked of the woman, she said she would “make other arrangements” for her travel.
Her “other arrangements” included leaving the counter, letting go of the leash, and proceeding onto her flight to Alabama, says Vazquez. Surveillance video shows the entire incident, but it was not released for security reasons.
“We love animals, and to treat an animal like that is really shocking,” Vazquez told ABC.
VIP Rescue Says Dog Abused Prior To This Incident
A neglected senior dog is now on the mend after it was abandoned at Tampa International Airport when the owner didn’t have the right paperwork to bring it on a flight. https://t.co/YIsz1rKeFu pic.twitter.com/5JSWjUoQFx
— Denver7 News (@DenverChannel) December 6, 2021
Airport authorities called in VIP Rescue to take care of the abandoned pup. Corinn Smith, of the rescue organization, told ABC that the dog was abused.
“He has several sores, he has an ear infection, he was severally matted,” Smith relayed, along with information from the dog’s microchip; he’s 14 and his name is Bama.
Smith is adopting Bama, herself, but thinks the matter requires further action.
“The woman needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. There’s no excuse for this,” Smith says, and Chief Vazquez agrees. He reports that they haven’t been able to reach the woman, and the state attorney’s office will press charges.
Vazquez further begs those travelling with animals to “contact the airline and find out what the requirements are” beforehand. If you don’t have them, “please don’t abandon the animal,” he says. “Contact somebody, and we’ll make arrangements.”
DogTime has a full guide to traveling by plane with your dog that you can read here!
What charges and punishment do you think this woman should face? What would you do if someone abandoned their dog at the airport right in front of you? Let us know in the comments below.
