A woman says Delta Air Lines lost her dog after she got deported by US border control

• A woman has accused Delta Airlines of losing her dog at an airport in Atlanta.
• Paula Rodriguez was deported to the Dominican Republic after arriving in the US last week.

A woman who traveled to the US from the Dominican Republic has accused Delta Air Lines of losing her dog.

Paula Rodriguez spoke to the television station Atlanta News First for a story published on Wednesday. Rodriguez told the outlet that she arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport last Friday but was denied entry to the US by customs officials.

"They told me very kindly, 'We're so sorry, but you don't meet the requirements to enter the U.S., you've been denied entry, and you need to be sent back home to Santo Domingo,'" Rodriguez said. She was also told to spend the night at a detention center, where she would be separated from her dog.

But right before Rodriguez's flight back to the Dominican Republic on Saturday morning, she discovered that her dog was missing.

"I was like, 'I'm sorry, I can't get on this plane, I don't know where my dog is,'" Rodriguez told Atlanta News First.

"I was crying, I had panic attacks on the plane, I had to get on the plane because the U.S. Border Control told me, 'Hey, we can't have you here by law in this airport for more than 24 hours.'" she continued.

Rodrigeuz said she made multiple calls to Delta to ask about her dog's whereabouts after arriving in the Dominican Republic.

Rodriguez told Atlanta News First that a Delta representative contacted her on Monday. The representative told Rodriguez that her dog had been missing since Saturday after it broke out of its kennel. Rodriguez claimed that Delta has not contacted her since.

The airport's communications director, Andrew Gobeil told Atlanta News First that the airport's staff "have not encountered the dog, but will continue to remain vigilant should she appear." Gobeil added that the staff will attempt to capture and return the dog to Rodriguez if they spot it.

A representative for Delta Air Lines told Insider that Rodriguez's dog has not been found yet.

"Delta teams have been working to locate and reunite this pet with the customer and we remain in touch with the customer to provide updates," said Delta's representative.

"Delta people feel deeply concerned for the customer and the dog and we're committed to ongoing search efforts, working closely with the City of Atlanta Department of Aviation and other stakeholders," the representative continued.

Editor's note: August 24, 2023 — This story has been updated with responses from Delta Air Lines.