Dog Missing for 3 Weeks at Atlanta Airport Is Found Safe

ATLANTA, Georgia — A dog missing for three weeks at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport finally has made a safe arrival.

The airport posted on social media that Maia, who escaped on Aug. 18 while flying with her owner on Delta Airlines, was found on Saturday. The dog was found by an airport worker near cargo facilities, the post says.

“Tired but in apparent good health, she was transported to a vet and is expected to return home soon,” the post says.

It ends a long saga for the dog’s owner, Paula Rodriguez. An online fundraiser for Rodriguez says Maia broke through her kennel bag while separated from Rodriguez during a layover at the airport.

WXIA Channel 11 says Rodriguez was separated from her dog because of an issue with Rodriguez’s visa in Atlanta. She was flying to California from the Dominican Republic.

The online fundraiser says the loss of Maya left Rodriguez “sleepless, with constant panic attacks and no appetite.”

NBC News reports Delta Airlines said it searched for the dog “around the clock,” which included using night-vision goggles. It also put out notices for workers to keep an eye out for Maia and allowed Rodriguez’s mother to help with the search.

“We are thankful for the teamwork that has led to our customer’s dog’s recovery,” Delta said in a statement to NBC. “Delta is working to reunite the dog with our customer as soon as possible.”

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