A dog escaped onto the tarmac at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) in January, running across runways before being captured. The incident occurred during an Omni Air flight and was captured on video by a passenger.
The dog traveled from the S-gates to the A-gates before it was caught with the assistance of its owner.
Airport officials noted that such escapes are rare, occurring only one to three times per year at SEA out of more than 430,000 takeoffs and landings.
Viktor Gorelyy was sitting in a window seat on a flight to Cancun when he spotted the animal. He recorded the dog running across the tarmac, a video that has since been shared thousands of times online.
“There’s a pup running across,” he said. “Oh, that’s not normal.”
SEA Airport officials say Omni Air typically charters with the Department of Defense to transport soldiers and staff back to the United States with their families.
KIRO 7 has reached out to the airline carrier and is awaiting a response.
While the details of what allowed the dog to escape are not clear, the dog appeared to jump from a motorized baggage cart.
National data suggests that animal incidents during air travel remain infrequent.
In 2024, federal records show that out of more than 161,000 animals transported by planes, carriers reported 10 animal deaths and three injuries. No animals were reported lost during that period.
To prevent escapes, SEA requires a cable tie on all animal carrier doors and prevents them from being opened.
Gorelyy, who does not own a dog, said the sight was unsettling because of the responsibility airlines take when moving pets.
“There’s a certain amount of trust that you put into the process of where an airline says, “Hey, we are pet friendly,”” Gorelyy said. “And you now put your trust into this big company to properly move that animal from one place to another, like they say they can.”
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