A man accused of abandoning his puppy at an airport after being unable to fly with it, and later claiming that an "Uber driver" had ditched the young dog, has been arrested on animal cruelty charges.
42-year-old Omar Perez of Texas was approached by authorities in the terminal who had begun their inquiries after reports of a Labrador puppy running free near the curb outside Pittsburgh International Airport's departures area at around 5 pm on Friday.
Perez told officers he had seen an Uber driver discard the animal, but they later learned that Perez had simply left the dog on its own at the airport after learning he would not be able to take it on board the flight.
"Don't leave your pets behind," said the Allegheny County Police Department in a statement. "We will investigate and we will file charges."
Posting a photograph of the pup on Facebook, the police added: "At approximately 5:00 pm today, County Police officers working at Pittsburgh International Airport were notified of an abandoned dog running loose at the departures curb. Officers and witnesses were able to locate and safely secure the dog."
They added: "The dog, a Labrador puppy, is doing well and will be placed in foster care. A special shoutout to Patrol Officer Riley Tkatch for his role in the investigation and helping secure a safe home for the dog!"
Underneath the official social media post, many people expressed their adoration of the abandoned pup, as well as their displeasure with Perez.
"What a beautiful pup! Thank you for saving that sweet angel and giving him a better life! What is wrong with people!" added Mandi Lion.
Debbie Forrest went further: "How could anyone do this to such an innocent puppy ? That P.O.S. deserves the book thrown at him. This gorgeous baby will now be shown what love is."
This is not the first time Pittsburgh International Airport has been used as an impromptu dog-drop-off facility.
In 2023, a woman left her dog in a stroller near short‑term parking after being told she needed a crate to fly with it, CBS News reported. She declined the crate, declined the dog, and accepted a flight to Mexico instead. Charges were later withdrawn after a guilty plea, and she paid a $150 fine – roughly the same cost as a mid‑range airline-approved dog crate.
Just months later, another dog was found tied to a pole in Pittsburgh's short-term parking garage.
