Jared and Kristi Owens of Texas were counting down to their long awaited trip to Las Vegas, the kind of getaway that had them buzzing before they even left home.
By the time they arrived at the airport in Lubbock, their suitcases were packed and the excitement was fully in motion. It all seemed headed for a normal check in, a simple boarding process, and the usual start to a travel day.
Then one small detail changed the mood. One of their bags hit the scale and came up six pounds over the limit, and suddenly the trip was no longer starting quite as routinely as they had expected.
Their Sneaky Chihuahua
Just as Jared and Kristi Owens were about to step onto the plane, the employees of the airport told them that one of their bags was too heavy and that they had to check it.
Both of them were quite surprised and even shocked, but they managed to keep their composure and do what they were told. However, the real shock came when they opened the bag and realized that something was moving inside.
That was when they discovered a smiling face peeking out of Jared’s boot — it was their senior Chihuahua who somehow managed to get into the bag without them noticing it when they were packing. It was a total shock for both of them, especially Jared.
“You know it’s going to be an epic trip to Vegas when you get to the airport to check your bags….6lbs overweight, and out pops a chihuahua from your boot!! Unreal!” Jared wrote in his Facebook post.
Although they were surprised at that moment, when they thought about it, it was actually typical Icky behavior.
“We were dumbfounded and flat shocked and embarrassed, to be honest. She loves to burrow in our laundry baskets, closet, blankets, wherever she can get nice, warm and comfy, and on that day, I guess she chose our suitcase we had left open with clothes in it for hours,” Jared told FOX 29 News Philadelphia.
Fortunately, one of the airport employees did not think that this situation was shameful at all, but rather funny and even exciting.
Airport Employee Saves The Day
The plane was about to take off for Las Vegas, and Jared and Kristi Owens were still standing at the airport, not knowing what to do. They didn’t plan to take their senior Chihuahua with them, but at the same time, they didn’t have time to return her home.
However, one of the employees, Cathy, was delighted by this situation, so she offered to look after Icky for as long as needed. Jared and his partner were delighted!
“Shout out to Cathy with #southwestairlines for her awesome customer service!! She offered to watch Icky until we got back!! Let’s go!!” Jared wrote in the post.
In the little time they had left before takeoff, Jared managed to call family friends who were quickly on their way to the airport to pick up Icky and bring her back home.
Although they were a bit irritated with their furry friend, Jared and Kristi still said a warm goodbye to her and to the airport employee who was looking after her, and finally set off on their journey.
Ultimately, Jared and Kristi were grateful for the twist of fate. Had the suitcase not been flagged, they might never have discovered Icky nestled quietly inside.