Harry Reid Airport Abandoned Puppy Gets New Home

On Tuesday, a seemingly abandoned nine-week-old puppy, named ‘Penny’, was found at Harry Reid International Airport. Fortunately, she now has been taken into a loving home.

Personnel at Harry Reid Airport in Las Vegas made a heartbreaking discovery this week when they found Penny, a puppy, abandoned near a departure gate inside an animal carrier. Fortunately, Penny was taken in by The Animal Foundation, a local animal shelter. On Friday, the sweet little pup was placed with a new family and was adorned with a collar that said her name and featured a heart on it. According to Kelsey Pizzi, a spokesperson for The Animal Foundation, Penny is healthy and alert and loves to be photographed. Though her breed is unknown and no one has come forward to reclaim her, it is hopeful that she will live happily in her new home.

According to Pizzi, visual breed identification is inaccurate and not to be relied on, even by experienced veterinary professionals. “She’s really cute anyway”, Pizzi added. Security footage at the airport is still not available to indicate who brought her in, but Las Vegas shelter provided a quick solution. There are numerous animals looking for adoption in The Animal Foundation, regardless of the holiday chaos at the airport.

Airport Holiday Chaos

Citing NBC News, more than 1 million US passengers were affected last week due to numerous flight delays and cancellations nationwide. These disruptions were primarily attributed to inclement winter weather and other causes. Airlines such as Southwest Airlines cancelled over 13,000 flights between December the 22nd and 29th, stranding some passengers for multiple days, and leaving their luggage unaccounted for. There is no evidence to suggest that Penny’s case contributed to this airline chaos, however, travelers headed to Las Vegas casinos for the holidays were surely impacted in some capacity. Harry Reid Airport had clarified the potential for large crowds even with non-delayed or non-cancelled flights within the same time frame, as animals can sometimes be sent to the wrong airport – even to the wrong country.

Dog Sent to Wrong Country

Last month, it was reported by NPR that Madison and James Miller had recently relocated to Tennessee from England but their pet dog, Bluebell, had been mistakenly flown to Saudi Arabia. The black Labrador mix was five years old at the time and the IAG Cargo, which is affiliated with British Airways, was accountable for the mishap. The family paid around $2,100 for the pooch’s original flight and due to the confusion, had to arrange three separate flights for Bluebell to get her to their new Tennessee home. Fortunately, IAG Cargo totally covered for the expenses, meaning the dog’s owners didn’t have to bear the cost. After three days of separation from her family, Bluebell is now back in Tennessee but the Millers claim she has been affected by the trauma, citing signs of extreme anxiety.