Airport issues warning after dog accidentally sent through X-ray machine in backpack

Dec 08, 2022

Remove your laptop, make sure your liquids are in a sealed bag – and don’t forget to take your dog out of your carry-on.

But, those security procedures were not heeded by one traveller, after a dog was spotted curled up in a backpack going through the X-ray machine at an airport in Wisconsin.

The pooch’s unexpected journey happened at Dane County Regional Airport, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said.

The TSA’s Great Lakes division tweeted: “When travelling with any animal, notify your airline and know their rules.

“At the checkpoint, remove your pet from the bag and send all items, including the empty carrier, to be screened in the machine.”

The X-ray image showed the small dog lying down in the rucksack, which was pictured in a grey security tray.

The TSA tweeted a video demonstrating the “proper way to travel with your pet”, which showed a man taking his cat out of the carrier and holding it as he walked through the screening checkpoint.

The agency said alternative screening options may be available “if you think your pet will attempt an escape”.

The TSA is no stranger to discovering pets. In 2015, they reunited a chihuahua with its owner after officers found the dog inside a checked suitcase.

In that case the owner had “no idea” the dog had climbed in, with the agency saying she “was shocked when we told her we had her dog”.

This week’s security mix-up appeared to have happened as a result of the dog owner’s confusion about the proper process for scanning pets.

TSA spokesperson Jessica Mayle told USA Today the passenger was “unaware” about the screening protocol required for animals and did not tell TSA officers.

She confirmed the dog, a dachshund chihuahua mix, was unharmed when it came out of the machine on Sunday, “just a little skittish”.

According to the TSA website, animals should never be put through an X-ray tunnel.

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