MADISON, Wis. — Transportation Security Administration officials said a dog accidentally went through an X-ray machine this week at the Dane County Regional Airport.
The agency shared photos on Twitter showing the small dog inside a backpack that went through the scanner.
TSA regional spokesperson Jessica Mayle said the dog’s owner was going through the checkpoint with the dog, which they had declared to the airline as they should, but did not remove it from the carrying case before sending it through the machine.
“It looked like a backpack so they kind of put the bag face down in the bin, so our officers did not know there was an animal inside and they sent the whole thing through, and then, of course, our officers are looking at the X-ray images, they see a dog on the screen and they say wait a minute, this isn’t right, so they got the passenger, they connected them, they talked to her and educated her,” Mayle said.
“In this case, it was just somebody who was naive about the screening process and she just didn’t know the rules, so there was no malicious intent or anything there,” she added.
The dog and passenger were able to continue on their way after the screening snafu.
A dog was accidentally sent through the X-ray @MSN_Airport this week. When traveling with any animal, notify your airline & know their rules. At the checkpoint, remove your pet from the bag and send all items, including the empty carrier, to be screened in the machine. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/JLOStCDsir
— TSA_GreatLakes (@TSA_GreatLakes) December 6, 2022
This isn’t the first time a pet has gone through an X-ray machine in recent weeks; last month, a cat went through security inside a suitcase at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on Nov. 16.
Officials said that, when traveling with a pet, it is best to notify your airline ahead of time and remove pets from all bags or carriers before going through security.
Different-sized pets will have different needs, so the TSA allows people to walk pets through security on a leash or carry them.
Here are some helpful reminders when traveling with a pet:
- Airports are noisy and can be scary for animals. It’s best to keep pets on a leash or harness if possible;
- Bring a travel carrier and have your pet go into the carrier a few times before the flight so they can be acquainted with it;
- Stay by your pet in the airport. Take them with you when going to places like the vending machine or restroom; and
- Use the pet relief area before getting in line to board.
When in doubt, just ask a TSA agent for help, Mayle said.
“We wouldn’t expect you to know every single process when you’re just walking up; you don’t do this every day but we do, so just talk to the officer while you’re there and say, ‘Hey, I have my dog, I’ve never traveled with them before,’ or maybe ‘My dog has a little bit of anxiety around strangers,’ whatever the issues are, just let us know and we can help you get through that screening process efficiently and safely,” she said.
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