An adorable stowaway Chihuahua was rescued from a checked suitcase at LaGuardia Airport in New York City this week.
According to Transportation Security Administration officials, the owner was unaware her dog went to the airport with her after it nestled in with the other belongings in her luggage.
The woman apparently didn’t hear any noise from the puppy and checked the bag before heading for security on Tuesday.
When her black, hard-sided suitcase set off an alarm and triggered an inspection, a TSA officer opened the luggage and found a young white-and-beige Chihuahua staring back at him.
“The woman said that the dog must have climbed into the suitcase and curled up in the clothing while she was packing for her trip,” said Lisa Farbstein of the TSA. The officer worked with the airline to track down the owner of the suitcase.
“(She) was shocked when we told her we had her dog,” Farbstein said.
The owner called her husband who came to pick up the puppy at the airport.
On Instagram, the TSA posted a photo of the pup Friday, writing: “It’s always important to double-check your bags before traveling, especially to make sure your Chihuahua hasn’t stowed away inside one of them. … While resolving a checked baggage alarm, an officer was shocked when he found a dog in the bag!”
A version of this story was originally published by KTLA sister station WPIX in New York, and was distributed by Tribune Broadcasting.