Woman police say abandoned dog at airport charged with animal cruelty
A woman who allegedly left her dog alone at the Pittsburgh International Airport before boarding a flight earlier this month is now facing charges.
Allegheny County police announced Thursday that 44-year-old Allison Gaiser of Kittanning is charged with one misdemeanor count of animal cruelty, along with summary violations of animal cruelty, animal neglect and abandonment of animals by owner.
The French Bulldog was found abandoned and left in a stroller near a shortterm parking area at roughly 5:30 a.m. with the owner nowhere to be found, police said. A TSA employee was alerted to the dog by a passerby and called 911.
According to a criminal complaint, the dog was found unrestrained in the stroller with no water. A plastic bag of dog food was found underneath the stroller in a bowl. Police also said the dog was found in an area of the lot that was uncovered and had no protection from the elements.
The dog was microchipped, allowing police to identify the owner, but they were unable to contact her using the phone number listed with the microchip.
County police said the dog is now “doing great” and is being fostered.
Ms. Gaiser was at the airport the morning of Aug. 4, attempting to board a flight to Mexico with the dog, according to the complaint. Police said surveillance footage showed her pushing the dog in a stroller from the parking area to the airline ticket counter just before 4:30 a.m.
Footage then allegedly went on to show her leave the ticket counter with the dog and go back to the parking area — where police say the dog was later found abandoned — at 4:50 a.m. She was then allegedly seen on camera once more at 4:51 a.m. heading back to the ticket counter, this time without the dog or stroller.
An employee told police Ms. Gaiser was initially denied boarding the flight with the dog because it didn’t meet the requirements to be considered a support animal, and she didn’t have the proper kennel.
Later on Aug. 10, police spoke with Ms. Gaiser after she got off her return flight at Pittsburgh International Airport. According to the complaint, she admitted to police that she left her dog behind but claimed to have made arrangements with her mother to pick up the dog.
Ms. Gaiser then showed police a text conversation between her and her mother, which, according to police, did not show an immediate plan for her mother to pick up the dog at the airport.
Police said the text conversation showed Ms. Gaiser tell her mother to call the airport and ask them to send the dog to the pound, where she could later pick it up when she returns.
Her mother allegedly responded with concerns, saying “You will be arrested for dog abandonment” and “You are not above the law.”
Police also interviewed Ms. Gaiser’s mother, who allegedly said she was unaware her daughter actually had left the dog at the airport until the following day.
Charges were issued via summons, and Ms. Gaiser has a preliminary hearing on Oct. 16.