Police look to ID man after dog apparently abandoned at Pittsburgh International Airport
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Another dog was apparently abandoned at Pittsburgh International Airport, Allegheny County police said Thursday.
Police said around 1:16 p.m., officers were called about a dog that was tied to a pole and appeared to be abandoned in the short-term parking garage.
Officers said they untied the dog, who appeared to be in good condition.
"There is no excuse for leaving your pets behind," police said in a Facebook post.
In an update late on Thursday, police said they are looking to identify a man in connection with the case. Allegheny County police said on social media that they believe "he was a ticketed passenger that spent time inside the airport before leaving the dog in the short-term parking garage prior to his flight."
The dog isn't microchipped, and police said they are actively investigating who left it behind. Anyone with information is asked to call the county police tipline at 1-833-ALL-TIPS.
It appears to be the second dog abandoned at the airport in recent months. A Kittanning woman is facing charges after police said she left her dog in a stroller near the entrance to the airport's short-term parking lot in August.
Investigators said 44-year-old Allison Gaiser boarded a flight to a resort in Mexico and left the dog behind after she couldn't get a boarding pass for an "emotional support animal."
Police have said that dog is doing well and is being fostered. Animal Friends has said it was "inundated" by people in the community and even across the nation offering to adopt the dog after hearing about his story but the outcome of the case will determine where he goes.
A formal arraignment for Gaiser is scheduled for Dec. 1. She's facing a misdemeanor count of animal cruelty, along with summary violations of animal cruelty, animal neglect and abandoning a dog within the state.
