Passenger smuggles Chihuahua in hand luggage
October 27, 2009 Security staff at Dublin Airport must have thought they'd gone barking mad after spotting a Chihuahua wriggling about on their X-ray machine last Friday (October 23).
The customs officers noticed the tiny dog in hand luggage on a flight from Madrid, initially suspecting it was a stuffed toy.
But after searching the bag they quickly realised that the figure on the screen was alive and kicking, prompting its detention along with the immediate arrest of its Bulgarian owner.
The pint-sized dog had been hidden in a cage confined within the luggage, apparently allowing it to escape detection by security staff in Madrid.
Despite remaining incognito throughout the duration of the flight – no mean feat for a breed best known for its incessant yapping – the Chihuahua ran out of luck in Dublin.
A spokesman for HMRC told The Telegraph that officers "discovered a Chihuahua-type toy dog which had been placed in a small cage and hidden in a holdall bag."
He added: "The dog appears to be in good health, although a little dopey from the journey."
The animal was put in quarantine by the Department of Agriculture and Food, while the Bulgarian national who had transported it was arrested by airport police.
Ireland and the UK have heavy restrictions over the importation of live animals, requiring dogs to be quarantined unless their owners have signed them up to the government-approved Pet Passport Scheme. Check out our Flying with Pets guide for more information.
© Cheapflights Ltd (Creative Commons photo: Schenko / Wikimedia)
