A woman accused by police of ditching her dog at the airport to make her vacation flight to Mexico has been charged

• Police said a woman left her dog at a short-term parking lot at Pittsburgh International Airport.
• The woman abandoned the pet so that she could make a flight to Mexico for vacation, police said.

A vacationing woman has been charged with animal cruelty after police say she abandoned her pet dog at an airport parking lot in Pennsylvania.

Allegheny County Police Department announced charges against Allison Gaiser, 44, of Kittanning, Pennsylvania, on Thursday.

She is charged with a misdemeanor count of animal cruelty, as well as summary violations of animal cruelty, animal neglect, and abandonment of animals by the owner.

It's illegal under Pennsylvania law to abandon a dog, and convicted owners can face fines of up to $1,000.

Those charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty, which is when the animal is put at serious risk of injury, face up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Court records show that a summons was issued on Thursday.

Investigators said on Thursday that Gaiser intentionally abandoned her French Bulldog near a short-term parking lot before she boarded a flight to a resort in Mexico, according to a news release.

Insider's Matthew Loh previously reported that police found the pet "unattended in a stroller" at Pittsburgh International Airport in early August. The dog was microchipped, which eventually helped them track down the owner.

Airline staff told Gaiser in early August that she needed to put the dog in a crate in order to bring it onto the plane, per Insider's reporting.

Police spokesperson James Madalinsky told this publication in August that the woman pretended her dog was an emotional-support animal but airline officials were unconvinced and told her she still needed a crate to fly with the dog.

She then left the dog in the parking lot and boarded her flight alone, police said.

"The dog is doing well and is still being fostered," said police.

Allegheny County Police Department urged anyone interested in adopting a dog to reach out to Animal Friends of Pittsburgh.

Gaiser did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.