The Chihuahua mix was lost three weeks ago at the world’s busiest airport.
The operations team at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport found the missing dog Saturday, “hiding near the North Cargo facilities,” the airportMaia, a rescue dog, is “tired but in apparent good health,” airport officials said. Maia was taken to a veterinarian Saturday, they added. Delta, the airline that was responsible for the dog when it was lost, said the canine would soon be reunited with her owner, Paula Camila Rodriguez, 25, who lives in the Dominican Republic.
“We are thankful for the teamwork that has led to our customer’s dog’s recovery,” Drake X. Castañeda, a spokesperson for Delta, told The Washington Post via email. “Delta is working to reunite the dog with our customer as soon as possible.”Rodriguez arrived at the airport in Atlanta, considered the busiest airport in the world, with her emotional support dog on Aug. 18.
Before departing, she had to spend the night at an airport detention facility, while Maia was supposed to be housed at a Delta pet facility, Rodriguez recalled. The two were supposed to be reunited for their flight back home the following morning, Rodriguez said. But the next morning, when Rodriguez was ready to board her flight to Santo Domingo, the Delta agents at the gate could not find her dog.Later, Rodriguez was told Maia never made it to the pet facility. Two days after returning home without her dog,
Rodriguez said a Delta agent explained Maia broke her carrier in the middle of an active runway while being transported to the pet facility the night of Aug. 18. Airline workers ran after her, but Maia escaped into a restricted airport area, Rodriguez said.