
NJ man abandons dog outside airport after it was barred from plane
A New Jersey man left his dog tied up outside the Des Moines, Iowa airport Thursday after he was told the dog couldn’t board the flight because he didn’t have a kennel for him.
Des Moines police spokesman Paul J. Parizek told New Jersey 101.5 the Newark man had paid for the dog to fly. Upon learning about the kennel requirement, the man unsuccessfully tried to get his Uber driver to take the dog someplace else. He then he tied the dog to a post in a public area at the airport, boarded his plane and left.
The Animal Rescue League of Iowa said the dog was brought to them by Des Moines police after airline workers found the dog. Parizek said that no one has been charged in the case and did not identify the owner of the dog.
The staff began calling the dog Allie and described her as an "incredibly sweet" 1-year-old female dog. They did not specify a type of dog although she appears to be a pit mix.
Dog owner explains what happened
The ARL said it prematurely released the name and charges against the man on Tuesday and withdrew its initial press release although his name remains in many news stories.
A complaint in the case obtained by the Des Moines Register identified the man as Charles Bigsen, 24, of Newark.
Bigsen told the Daily Mail he was in tears when he left the dog behind. He hoped that a friend would be able to pick up the dog from the airport. Bigsen said the dog's name is Stella.
Charles told the Daily Mail he was heading back to New Jersey after losing his job in Iowa. His girlfriend, who booked the tickets, and daughter flew separately. They are not aware of what happened to the dog.
The rescue league said that once Allie is spayed, microchipped and receives any other needed veterinary services, she will become available for adoption.
Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com
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