Woman reunited with dog after he escapes before Alaska Airlines flight

A woman took an immediate return after her pet dog, Moose, escaped before their Alaska Airlines flight from North Carolina to Seattle.

The passenger was forced to head back to the Raleigh-Durham International Airport to help the airline team look for Moose. According to a WRAL report, Moose was scheduled to depart with his owner on the same flight out on 26 March. However, he didn’t end up making it on the aircraft.

Speaking to WRAL, a representative from Alaska Airlines attributed this to a “misstep in the loading process.” Instead of traveling with the passenger, Moose was kept at the airport overnight and scheduled to fly out the next morning.

On Wednesday, the staff took Moose for a walk before his flight. When they returned, Moose refused to go back in his crate.

“When it was time to load it into the crate, it pulled away, shook loose from its collar and ran away,” the airline spokesperson said. According to the WRAL report, officers watched as the airport workers chased “the dog on the taxiway”. Moose was then seen at “various locations around the airport campus”. But the chase did not interrupt the arrival or departure of any flights.

Alaska Airlines proceeded to pay for the owner’s flight back from Seattle, WRAL reported. Law enforcement officials and the fire rescue team were enlisted to help with the search and rescue of Moose. Luckily, Moose was safely returned to the passenger on 28 March.

“We’re happy that the dog is safely back with its pet parent. The airport’s fire rescue team picked up the owner yesterday, who had been searching in a different area, and brought her to Moose the dog,” an Alaska Airlines representative told The Independent.

They continued: “She coaxed him to her and he’s safe and sound. The port’s K9 officers fed him and he left with his owner.”

Alaska Airlines requires any pet scheduled to fly in the baggage compartment to be no more than 150lb when combined with their carrier. According to their website, “You must travel on the same flight(s) to your pet’s destination.” However, if one isn’t planning to fly with their pet, the airline asks that they go to alaskacargo.com.

“Alaska Airlines accepts most domesticated pets for travel in our climate-controlled baggage and cargo compartments for a fee of $150,” the website states. “Accepted pets include cats, dogs, ferrets, guinea pigs, hamsters, household birds, non-poisonous reptiles, pot-bellied pigs, rabbits, and tropical fish.”