A passenger showed up at the Las Vegas airport JetBlue ticket counter on February 2 with a 2-year old goldendoodle mini-poodle mix dog. Police say she was trying to fly with the dog as a service animal, but hadn’t done the online paperwork.
The airline told her she needed the forms, and without those she couldn’t travel with the dog as a service animal. That meant for the dog to travel in the cabin she’d have to pay a $150 pet fee, it would count as her carry-on, and would have to remain in a carrier under the seat for the entire flight.
Surveillance video from the airport shows her securing the dog to baggage sizer near the counter. Then she left, and proceeded to her gate where she planned to board her flight. JetBlue staff reported the abandoned dog to police, and found the woman at Gate D1.
- She told the officers that JetBlue wouldn’t let her fly with the dog
- So she left it
- But it was ok, because the animal had a tracking device so it was ok to leave it behind and it would make its way back.
Abandoned at the Airport… but Not Forgotten
We can’t believe we have to say this… but please don’t abandon your dog at the airport — or anywhere else.
On February 2, 2026, at approximately 11:39 p.m., LVMPD officers assigned to Harry Reid International Airport responded to… pic.twitter.com/vZd6TMSaEF
— LVMPD (@LVMPD) February 18, 2026
Officers took her back through the security checkpoint and she became hostile. She was held and booked on animal abandonment and resisting arrest. She was released on her own recognizance and a court hearing is scheduled for March 31.
Animal Protective Services took custody of the dog. There’s a mandatory 10-day holding period. After that, the owner didn’t reclaim him. Retriever Rescue of Las Vegas has taken custody and renamed him Jet Blue, had him neutered and vaccinated, and placed him in foster care while looking for a permanent home.
Last year a woman abandoned her dog at the Pittsburgh airport, flew to Mexico, and wound up with just a $150 fine for aninal cruelty. And a Florida woman walked into the bathroom at the Orlando airport and left her dog there after being told by her airline that it could not fly.
Another passenger left an emotional support goldfish behind at TSA. Another woman was forced to leave her pet behind by Southwest Airlines. This girl was re-united with her fish 3 months later. And that same year Spirit Airlines made a college student flush her hamster down the toilet in order to travel.
Emotional support animals aren’t supposed to be allowed anymore, but service animals are – that’s just paperwork, but one passenger who didn’t do the paperwork caused my Delta flight to return to the gate, leading to a long delay for refueling (and the dog was still allow to fly). Here are the easy ways, by the way, to detect a fake service animal.
What’s even more bizarre is that a couple abandoned a baby at the airport when they learned there’d be a fee for the child to fly.
(HT: Paddle Your Own Kanoo)
These folks only paid 150 penalty for leaving their emotional support animals and fish behind
Why did I get fined 1000.00 for leaving behind my emotional support giraffe
Totally not fair
I’m glad that LAS officials did the right thing; that woman does not deserve to EVER own an animal again and we should have stricter penalties in place for being such a sh#tty human being.
Not nice to abandon a pet for narrow-minded interests.
Speaking of abandoning, some FlyerTalk Moderators want to clean out house with some “Ambassadors” on the forum. All because some of them are upset at kokonutz/Matt purportedly because of what he posts in the Hyatt forum.
To these people their pets are fashion prompts. Just like their children. Neither pet no child turns out well.
Dogs are known to poop on planes.
Some people should be permitted to own pets. What movie was it where the lead said “I’m going to start with a plant?”
On the bright side this doggo will likely end up having a much better life than if they were stuck with her
Boraxo: In 28 Days Steve Buscemi suggests that Sandra Bullock first get a plant. If it’s alive after a year, get a pet. If after another year both the plant and pet are alive, she may be ready for a relationship.
what an astonishingly shitty person
@L737 – exactly! The dog wasn’t neutered and likely wasn’t getting proper vet care. Now in the hands of a great LV rescue and being fostered. He will find a loving home. I’m sure the dog wasn’t neutered confused but likely already has a better life.
Why are all past incidents listed are all committed by women?
@L737 — *tail wagging* (twue)
Spirit never made a passenger flush their hamster down the toilet. The passenger lied about it (among other things including at 18 years old claiming to have served in Iraq and went to the USO at BWI for someone to complain to and “call Congress” on her behalf). The hamster traveled in a Starbucks cup with the passenger on a later flight.