TOKYO – A poodle’s dash for freedom briefly shut down one runway at a major Japanese airport Monday (Oct 9), forcing its owner to come out and catch the canine, police said.
The fully-grown dog escaped at Tokyo’s Haneda airport while cargo crews were loading its cage onto a Japan Airlines flight bound for Naha in Okinawa around 8:50 am, airport police said.
It appeared to enjoy its brief taste of freedom, dashing across a runway and sniffing around in grassy areas.
But officials had to close one of four runways for a total of six minutes, causing delays for 14 flights, said a police spokesman.
In the end, the poodle’s owner had to come out to catch the pet about 40 minutes later.