3 min readNew DelhiFeb 20, 2026 04:59 PM IST
First published on: Feb 20, 2026 at 04:59 PM IST
A woman in the United States has been taken into custody after she allegedly left her dog at an airport check-in area in Las Vegas, as she lacked the required documentation to fly with the animal as a service dog and had been denied boarding, according to the police.
The police also alleged she became “hostile” and “resisted officers’ attempts to detain her” while being escorted back through security.
Video from Harry Reid International Airport dated February 2 shows the woman arriving at a JetBlue counter with a carry-on suitcase and her goldendoodle on a leash. The dog appears cheerful in the clip, wagging its tail and exploring the area while the woman speaks with an airline employee.
At one moment, her suitcase tips over. She glances at the dog and gestures animatedly as the discussion continues. Shortly afterward, the woman walks away from the counter. When she re-enters the frame, the dog follows but is abruptly stopped when the leash goes taut, indicating she has left it behind.
Airport staff quickly intervene and appear to question her decision. After a brief exchange, the woman walks off again, leaving the dog watching as she disappears from view. The check-in agent is then seen making a phone call, and other airport workers gather around to comfort the animal with pats and cuddles.
Authorities later located the woman near her departure gate. In bodycam footage released by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, an officer tells her, “We’re gonna walk you back to where your dog’s at.” The woman, wearing blue slacks and a black hoodie, responds that she was attempting to rebook her flight.
Check out the video:
Officers said they had been dispatched to the airport shortly before 11.40 pm after reports of a dog being left at the ticket counter.
According to officials, the woman claimed the dog had a tracking device, “implying it was acceptable to leave the animal behind and it would return to her.” “We can’t believe we have to say this… but please don’t abandon your dog at the airport — or anywhere else,” the department wrote on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1543195807813768&set=pcb.1543195934480422
The dog, later nicknamed ‘Jet Blue’, was cared for by airport staff until animal protective services took over. After the woman did not reclaim the pet within the required 10-day holding period, the animal was transferred to the nonprofit Retriever Rescue of Las Vegas.
The rescue group says Jet Blue is now safe in foster care and awaiting a permanent home.
“This sweet boy is incredible. Truly incredible. And after everything he’s been through, the thought of him ever experiencing abandonment again has us on very high alert. We will be extremely intentional in choosing his forever family,” the organisation told NBC News. “He deserves stability. Security. Commitment. A lifetime promise.”
After a brief exchange, the woman walks off again, leaving the dog watching as she disappears from view 
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