Lost and Found: Delta Passenger’s Dog Rescued Unscathed After 3 Weeks at Atlanta Airport
A dog owner may finally rest after going through nearly a month of pain and anxiety after her lost canine was safely located at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport on Saturday, according to airport officials.
The 6-year-old dog owned by Delta Air Lines traveler Paula Rodriguez went missing in August at the airport, which is regarded as the busiest in the world.
According to a message on X, Maia was discovered hiding close to the north freight facilities by the airport’s operations crew. Airport officials stated, “Tired but in apparent good health, she was transported to a vet and is expected to return home .”
Rodriguez and Maia left their home in the Dominican Republic on August 18 to travel to California for a two-week holiday.
Rodriguez was warned by border patrol agents that her tourist visa did not comply with the requirements when they touched down in Atlanta for a layover. Rodriguez earlier told CNN that they had revoked her visa and instructed her to board the following flight back to her home country.
Rodriguez was forced to deal with the heartbreaking prospect of spending the night alone in a detention facility without her cherished dog friend because the next trip to Punta Cana was scheduled for the following day.
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The Long Search for Maia at Atlanta Airport
The following day, Rodriguez was early to her flight’s gate and excited to see Maia again. She was shocked when Maia never showed up. Rodriguez was forced to board her aircraft to Punta Cana without Maia since she was unable to stay in the US for more than 24 hours without a visa.
She claims that this event caused her to have a panic attack on the flight back home.
Despite Rodriguez’s persistent calls to Delta, no fresh information was provided for weeks. Rodriguez flew her mother to Atlanta to assist in the massive 4,000-acre Hartsfield-Jackson Airport search after her vacation visa was revoked.
Rodriguez described her ordeal as “living a nightmare,” previously speaking with CNN, outlining the excruciating toll that Maia’s disappearance had taken.
When Atlanta Airport officials revealed Maia had been found three weeks after going missing, her darkest concerns on Saturday were quelled. Delta Flight Lines has been contacted by CNN to inquire about Maia’s escape’s circumstances.
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Source: CNN
