It’s hard to leave your cat at home when you go vacation, but there is a right and wrong way to travel with your feline.
A North Port, Florida, couple picked not only a wrong, but extremely dangerous, way to pack their pet on return trip home from Erie, Pennsylvania, on New Year’s Day.
According to GoErie.com, 6-month-old Slim the cat was allegedly found crammed into the owners’ checked bag without food, water or any access to fresh air.
Erie International Airport’s baggage inspection system picked up something odd about the luggage with Slim inside, causing Transportation Security Administration officials to take a closer look at the bag. Upon opening the suitcase, the TSA quickly found the cat.
In response to this distressing search, the Erie airport police cited the cat’s owners a summary count of transporting animals in a cruel manner. The citation was filed Tuesday before Millcreek Township District Judge Laurie Mikielsk, reports GoErie.com, and now awaits a plea from the Florida couple, who could be hit with fines if found guilty.
Ian Bogle, the airport’s director of public safety and facilities, said that Slim, who appeared to be unharmed by the ordeal, is now under the care of the Humane Society of Northwestern Pennsylvania.
“Twenty-eight years I’ve been here. I’ve seen some unique things. I’ve been involved in plenty of unique things. This is a first,” Bogle said.
