A passenger traveling with Delta Air Lines has accused the airline of losing her dog, sparking a desperate search for her furry companion. Paula Rodriguez flew from the Dominican Republic to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, in Georgia, on Friday, August 18th, only to be denied entry into the United States by US Border Control officials.
“They told me very kindly ‘We’re so sorry but you don’t meet the requirements to enter the US. You’ve been denied entry, and you need to be sent back home to Santo Domingo’”, Rodriguez told Atlanta News First.
The separation with her pet began when Rodriguez was informed that she would have to spend the night in a detention center, where her dog, Maia, could not accompany her. Maia, whom Rodriguez had rescued from the streets when she was just a month old, was left behind. After a night of separation, Rodriguez was scheduled to board a flight back home the following morning. However, to her dismay, her dog was nowhere to be found.
Rodriguez pleaded with border officials not to board without her dog. “I was like, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t get on this plane, I don’t know where my dog is’”, she said. But claims border control informed her that, by law, she could not stay in the airport for more than 24 hours. Distraught, she boarded the plane and returned to the Dominican Republic. “I was crying, I had panic attacks on the plane”, she added.
Upon her return, Rodriguez made several calls to Delta Air Lines in an attempt to locate her missing pet. “I started making calls, I started making claims, nobody knew where she was”, she recounted. Two days later, a Delta staff member contacted her, confirming that Maia had escaped from her kennel. “After that, Delta hasn’t called me once or emailed me about the whereabouts of my dog”, Rodriguez claimed, expressing her deep concern for Maia’s well-being, “Without food, without water, she must be scared”.
“Delta teams have been working to locate and reunite this pet with the customer and we remain in touch with the customer to provide updates. Delta people feel deeply concerned for the customer and the dog and we’re committed to ongoing search efforts, working closely with the City of Atlanta Department of Aviation and other stakeholders”, a spokesperson for the airline stated.
Airport authorities at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest airport, have also pledged to assist in capturing Maia if she is spotted on the premises. “ATL’s operations teams conduct runway and airfield inspections throughout the day. At this time they have not encountered the dog, but will continue to remain vigilant should she appear. If she is seen, ATL’s staff will attempt to capture her and return her to the airline and her owner”, said Andrew Gobeil, senior director of communications and public affairs at the airport.
As the search for Maia continues, Rodriguez remains hopeful that she will soon be reunited with her cherished pet.
