Alaska Airlines lost some baggage at the international airport Monday and it's been running from authorities since.
Anchorage Ted Stevens International Airport officials are on the lookout for an Australian miniature shepherd that somehow slipped out of its cage while airline employees were handling it Monday afternoon.
The dog was coming to Alaska for the first time, Department of Transportation spokesman Roger Wetherell said. About 3 p.m., an employee was handling the cage and the dog escaped along Tug Road, he said. It was not immediately clear if the employee opened the cage or if it was improperly latched.
"We're not exactly certain how the animal got loose, but the best guess is that when animals are being off-loaded from the aircraft, oftentimes ramp workers will let them out of their cages to get some exercise after they've been cooped up on the jet," Wetherell said.
Alaska Airlines spokeswoman Bobbie Egan, however, said the dog kennel apparently opened up by itself when the worker picked it up.
"The door came open, and it was just how the crate itself was constructed," Egan said. "It was constructed in such a way that when it was lifted the door opened and the dog ran out."
The dog is a male and goes by something like Sesky. State officials said they didn't know who its owner was and Alaska Airlines would not name the person, saying it is their policy not to release passenger information.
The dog hasn't posed a danger to aviation, Wetherell said, but officials are eager to catch it so they can reunite pet and owner.
The animal was last seen north of the airport fire station on Tuesday night, Wetherell said. The dog apparently didn't know its new owner, Wetherell said, but the person has been involved in trying to coax it into custody. The dog, however, wants nothing to do with them.
"Very skittish, very fleet afoot," Wetherell said. "There have been numerous sightings of it but each time that our operations folks at the airport try to get close enough to it, they just can't corral it."
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By JAMES HALPIN
jhalpin@adn.com