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MORRISVILLE, N.C. — Moose, a dog that was supposed to be on an outgoing Alaska Airlines flight Tuesday from Raleigh-Durham International Airport, has been reunited with its owner after a "misstep in the cargo loading process," the airline said.
Moose did not make it onto the Tuesday flight, and when staff members tried to load him on another flight Wednesday, he was able to escape, the airline said.
"The dog was scheduled to fly on our flight Tuesday night with its owner, but due to a misstep in the cargo loading process, the dog did not make the trip. It stayed with our team at the airport overnight," according to a spokesperson from Alaska Airlines.
"While waiting to load the dog on the Wednesday flight to Seattle, the dog was taken for a walk. When it was time to place him into the crate, the dog pulled away, shook loose from its collar and ran away," Alaska Airlines went on to say.
The airline began searching for Moose and flew his owner back to help look for him, the airline said.
Moose, who was found Thursday morning, was able to have a hearty breakfast before leaving the airport, according to a spokesperson with Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
"He is safe and sound and had a good breakfast courtesy of one of our K9 officers," the airport spokesperson said.
Alaska Airlines apologized for the mishap and said it's happy the dog and owner have been reunited.
"We're happy that the dog is safely back with its pet parent," an Alaska Airlines spokesperson said. "We sincerely apologized to the owner for what was a stressful situation."
