Puppy causes airport chaos in Mallorca – what happened?

Puppy causes airport chaos in Mallorca – what happened?

A small puppy caused quite a stir at Palma airport in Mallorca. The presumably runaway four-legged friend managed to enter the airport grounds on Sunday and caused some unrest on the way to landing.

One flight had to stay in the air and circle over the runway, while three other planes were only able to land with a delay. After an interruption of around 20 minutes, the runway was finally reopened. An airport spokeswoman confirmed the incident and emphasized that the situation was under control at all times. The team followed an emergency protocol to ensure the safety of the passengers. Despite the incident, flight operations at the airport continued as normal and there were no flight cancellations.

The whereabouts of the puppy

What became of the little puppy remains unclear at first. The dog reportedly left the airport premises on its own. Street dogs are rare in Mallorca, so it is assumed that the little friend ran away from his owners. Special responsibilities are imposed on dog owners in Spain due to the new animal protection law, in force since September 29, 2023. Laws regulate the ownership of pets and aim to protect the welfare and rights of animals.

Dog owners are legally obliged to keep their animals in dignified living conditions and not to leave them unattended.

Relevant provisions for dog owners

The new Animal Protection Act introduces various obligations for animal owners. Here is an overview of some important points:

• Tiere müssen identifiziert werden, und der Verlust ist innerhalb von 48 Stunden zu melden.
• Hundehalter müssen eine Haftpflichtversicherung abschließen.
• Unkontrollierte Vermehrung ist zu vermeiden, und medizinische Versorgung durch einen Tierarzt ist sicherzustellen.
• Die Vorschriften stellen sicher, dass Tiere artgerecht betreut werden und den Kontakt mit Behörden fördern.

If dog owners violate these regulations, fines of between 500 and 200,000 euros can be imposed, depending on the severity of the offense. Compliance with these regulations should help prevent such incidents as airport excitement.

The incident at Palma airport is a striking example of how important it is to take responsibility for your own pets. While the response and measures at the airport were handled professionally, the question remains what will happen to puppies that escape due to inadequate supervision in the future.

So for all dog owners it's important to have good handling skills so that these little companions are always safe!