In Atlanta, Georgia, a woman flying with her dog internationally claimed that Delta Air Lines lost her dog at the Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport three weeks ago.
It was on Saturday, however the airport posted on social media that the dog was found and is in good health.
On August 18, Paula Rodriquez and her six-year-old dog, Maia, began a journey from their home in the Dominican Republic to California for a two-week vacation. When they arrived in Atlanta for a layover, however Rodriquez had been stopped by the border patrol, who said her tourist visa did not meet the necessary requirements. The officers then canceled her visa and told her she would have to return to Punta Cana on the next flight.
Rodriquez had to spend the night at a detention center and was not allowed to bring her dog. It was then a Delta agent took the dog. Early the next morning, Rodriquez arrived at the airport ready to claim her dog, but Maia was never returned.
Forced to leave because of her visa irregularities, Rodriquez had to leave without her beloved pet and board her flight to Punta Cana where she stated she had a panic attack. Maia and Paula are very bonded, and the dog had always been her steadying anchor.
Two days after the dog had gone missing, a Delta representative shared the news that the crew had opened her kennel on the runway, and Maia had panicked and fled. There were no updates to come for weeks; Rodriquez had been truly heartbroken.
Delta stated they had never stopped looking for the dog and were committed to the ongoing search. And it was on Saturday, that Paula finally breathed a sigh of relief. The airport’s operations team found Maia hiding near the north cargo facilities.
Tired but in apparent good health, she was transported to a vet and is expected to return home soon.
X, formerly Twitter
There are lots of unanswered questions, however Maia and her beloved human are soon to be reunited.
Follow the National Pet Rescue on Facebook for the latest animal related news.
