Man Charged with Animal Neglect After He Left His Dog at The Airport

A man has been charged with animal neglect after he abandoned his pet dog at an Iowa airport after being told he needed a kennel to get on his flight.

Source: We Are Iowa Local 5 News/YouTube

24-year-old Bigsen Charles has been accused of tying his dog, Stella, outside of the Des Moines International Airport. Charles then reportedly jumped on a plane to Newark, New Jersey, by himself, leaving the seven-month-old pup behind. He had paid for Stella to fly with him but didn’t know he would need a kennel to do so.

“I already checked in and didn’t want to miss my flight,” he told the Daily Mail. “I thought if I paid for the dog on the plane they would give her a kennel. I didn’t know I had to bring my own.”

Charles said he tried to ask for the driver who brought them to the airport to pick Stella up and even asked airport staff to allow her to stay inside. When neither of those options worked, he tied Stella outside and hoped that one of his friends could come to get her, but he was not able to get through to anyone.

Stella was found outside by airport staff, who contacted the Animal Rescue League (ARL) of Iowa. An animal control officer picked Stella up, and authorities launched an investigation. Charles said that he was not trying to hurt Stella, who he got for his daughter last summer. He said that he was crying because he didn’t want to leave her but knew someone would end up taking her.

The animal control officer who picked up Stella, Tina Updegrove, said that Charles admitted to her that he knew what he did was wrong. Updegrove said she spent days trying to contact Stella’s owners, and now finally, with Charles’ permission, she will be put up for adoption.

We encourage everyone thinking of getting a pet to only adopt instead of shopping. Read more resources about adopting animals on One Green Planet, including 7 Reasons to Adopt Your Next Furry Best Friend, 5 Reasons Why Everyone Should Adopt a Pet, and These Heartwarming Before and After Pictures of Adopted Rescue Animals Will Make Your Day! Read tips for pet adoptions and what to consider before adopting an animal. We recommend using these apps to find shelter dogs near you!

Related Content:

• Disabled Dog Abandoned By Owners Twice in One Day
• The More the Merrier! Couple Adopts Dog Who Unexpectedly Has 5 Puppies Weeks Later
• Sweet Dog Abandoned Because He Couldn’t Walk Normally Rescued From Roadside
• Dog Abandoned When Family Moved Away – Look What’s Become of Her Now (VIDEO)
• German Authorities Will Kill Hybrid Wolf-Dog Pups to Protect Wolf Population

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take the initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade over and over again.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and essential stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!