By Farah Mokrani •
Updated: 29 Nov 2024 • 9:06 • 1 minute read
A heartwarming reunion concluded a nine-day search at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport after a dog named Amalka escaped during an unloading operation. The Austrian tourist’s pet had slipped out of her carrier on November 19, prompting an extensive hunt across airport grounds and surrounding areas.
Runway closures at Paris airport to rescue escaped dog
Authorities resorted to extraordinary measures to locate the missing canine:
Drone deployment: Airport police utilised a search drone on November 28, necessitating the closure of two runways. The operation was carefully timed during off-peak hours to minimise disruption.
Night searches: Efforts to find Amalka included late-night hunts involving the dog’s owner, whose stay near the airport was covered by Air France.
Posters and alerts: Notices were distributed across the airport to alert staff and travellers about the missing dog.
The search ended successfully when Amalka was discovered in a park in Dammartin-en-Goële, a town near the airport.
Heartwarming reunion: Dog and owner reunited
In a video shared by Le Parisien, Amalka can be seen wagging her tail enthusiastically as her owner embraced her. Air France confirmed the reunion in a statement, adding that both owner and pet would soon continue their journey to their final destination.
Amalka’s escape isn’t the first high-profile airport pet incident. In September 2023, a Chihuahua mix named Maia caused similar chaos at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. After escaping her carrier, Maia roamed the tarmac for 22 days before being rescued by a Good Samaritan.
Such cases underscore the importance of rigorous safety measures for travelling pets, ensuring that incidents like these remain rare.
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