A Dashound Chihuahua mix dog was accidentally sent through an X-ray machine.
The Dog’s Unexpected Trip
Transportation Security Administration officials said a dog accidentally went through an X-ray machine last week at the Dane County Regional Airport in Wisconsin.
TSA spokesperson Jessica Mayle confirmed to USA TODAY that the small dog was alright when it came out of the machine on Sunday, “just a little skittish.”
Mayle explained that the traveler was “unaware” of the screening protocol required for animals and did not tell TSA officers prior.
“It looked like a backpack so they kind of put the bag face down in the bin, so our officers did not know there was an animal inside and they sent the whole thing through, and then, of course, our officers are looking at the X-ray images, they see a dog on the screen and they say wait a minute, this isn’t right, so they got the passenger, they connected them, they talked to her and educated her,” Mayle said.
“In this case, it was just somebody who was naive about the screening process and she just didn’t know the rules, so there was no malicious intent or anything there,” she added.
Mayle told Nexstar the passenger “proceeded to her gate” after her bags were properly checked.
Proper Pet Handling
After the incident, the TSA in Great Lakes tweeted how to handle your pets while going through screening.
The agency reminded travelers of the TSA’s animal guidelines.
“When traveling with any animal, notify your airline & know their rules,” the post read in part. “At the checkpoint, remove your pet from the bag and send all items, including the empty carrier, to be screened in the machine.”
Mayle told Nexstar the passenger “proceeded to her gate” after her bags were properly checked. The incident came mere weeks after TSA at New York’s Kennedy International Airport found a stowaway cat in a checked bag. The cat belonged to the shocked passenger’s roommate, per WKBN.
“On the bright side, the cat is out of the bag and safely back home,” Lisa Farbstein, a TSA spokesperson, told the outlet.
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