Pooch halts runway traffic with antics
A man attempts to retrieve a dog after it escaped from its cage during transportation on an airline at LaGuardia Airport in New York City. (April 25, 2012) Credit: Getty Images
A new breed of traveler brought a runway at LaGuardia Airport to a halt Wednesday.
The Delta Air Lines customer named Byrdie, a 30-pound Rhodesian ridgeback puppy, escaped from her crate as she was being loaded into a plane and went frolicking about for 10 minutes.
The young pooch's midmorning escapade delayed several flights, said Port Authority spokesman Ron Marsico, who said Byrdie went to stretch her legs at about 10:20 a.m., just before her flight to Memphis was to leave.
"The peppy puppy decided it would be fun to have some exercise on Runway 31 in LaGuardia," Marsico said.
Port Authority operations personnel and police beckoned to her as she ran around and then sat on the runway, but Byrdie respectfully declined their invitations.
She finally responded when her owner, who officials would not identify, came to the runway and called out to her, ending the brief standoff. "Byrdie and her owner were put back on the plane and said plane went on its merry way," Marsico said.
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