Woman says US airline lost her beloved rescue dog

A woman travelling to the US says she was forced to fly home alone after the airline lost her beloved pooch.

A woman says an airline lost her beloved rescue dog while she was travelling internationally.

Paula Rodriguez from the Dominican Republic said US-based carrier Delta Air Lines lost her dog while she was being detained by US Customs and Border Protection officials.

Ms Rodriguez and her rescue pup, Maia, arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport last Saturday after boarding a flight from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.

However, the pair were purportedly separated by officials after Rodriguez was taken away for further questioning before being allowed into the country, NY Post reports.

“They [eventually] told me very kindly, ‘We’re so sorry, but you don’t meet the requirements to enter the US, you’ve been denied entry, and you need to be sent back home to Santo Domingo,’” Ms Rodriguez told Atlanta News First.

“You’re going to have to sleep in a detention centre and your dog can’t come with you.’”

Paula Rodriguez lost her beloved rescue dog at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Picture: Paula Rodriguez

The following day, Ms Rodriguez was ordered to get onto a return flight to her country, but Maia was nowhere to be found.

“I was like, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t get on this plane, I don’t know where my dog is,’ ” the traumatised traveller recalled.

“I was crying, I had panic attacks on the plane, I had to get on the plane because the US Border Control told me, ‘Hey, we can’t have you here by law in this airport for more than 24 hours.’”

Ms Rodriguez was forced to depart Atlanta without her pet, but was hopeful that the pup would be placed onto the following flight.

However, after returning to the Dominican Republic, the dog mum didn’t receive any notices from Delta.

She says she called the company several times to try and figure out Maia’s whereabouts.

The dog allegedly broke out of a kennel at the airport and is still missing. Picture: Paula Rodriguez/Instagram

Unfortunately, an airline representative allegedly told Ms Rodriguez on Monday that Maia had been missing since Saturday after the pup broke out of her kennel.

“She’s been missing for more than 72 hours in the biggest airport in the United States,” Ms Rodriguez stated. “Without food, without water, she must be scared.”

Andrew Gobeil, the airport’s communications director, told Atlanta News First that the airport’s staff “have not encountered the dog, but will continue to remain vigilant should she appear.”

Mr Gobeil shared that the staff will attempt to capture and return Maia to Ms Rodriguez if they find her.

Meanwhile, a Delta rep told The Post: “Delta teams have been working around the clock to locate and reunite this pet with the customer and we remain in touch with the customer to provide updates.”

However, Ms Rodriguez claims she has not heard from the airline since they told her Maia was missing.

“Delta people feel deeply concerned for the customer and the dog and we’re committed to ongoing search efforts, working closely with the City of Atlanta Department of Aviation and other stakeholders,” Drake Casteneda, a Delta Air Lines communications representative, told Atlanta News First.

This article originally appeared on New York Post and was reproduced with permission