New Jersey Man Charged with Animal Neglect After Allegedly Abandoning Dog Outside Iowa Airport
Animal Rescue League of Iowa/Facebook
A New Jersey man has been charged with animal neglect after allegedly abandoning his dog outside an Iowa airport.
The owner, 24-year-old Bigsen Charles, has been accused of tying up his 1-year-old pup Allie outside the Des Moines International Airport and flying to Newark, New Jersey, on Dec. 29.
According to WHO 13, Bigsen tried to fly home with Allie but didn't realize he would need to transport her in a kennel. He reportedly left the airport with the canine but returned alone to board his flight.
"I already checked in and didn't want to miss my flight," Bigsen told Daily Mail. "I thought if I paid for the dog on the plane, they would give her a kennel. I didn't know I had to bring my own."
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The Animal Rescue League of Iowa (ARL)picked Allie up after receiving a call about a dog tied up outside the airport, per the rescue's Dec. 30 Facebook post.
"During the drive from the airport to the shelter, she warmed up to me," said Tina Updegrove, the animal control officer who picked Allie up, of the pup to Daily Mail. "Her tail was wagging, and she was smiling. She is quite fantastic. Such a sweetheart."
Tom Colvin, the CEO of Iowa's ARL, told NBC's Today that Stella was not outside for "very long" and that the weather "was a lot better than it was a few days prior... during the sub-zero wind chills."
The Independent reported that Bigsen tried to come up with a better solution for Allie after she was denied from the flight, reportedly asking the driver who took him to the airport to pick Allie up and the airport workers to allow her to stay inside. But when none of those options worked, he said he tied Stella up outside the airport, hoping that one of his friends would retrieve her, but he could not get in touch with anyone.
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However, court documents state that Bigsen admitted to investigators that he did not provide Allie with food or water or make further arrangements for her to be picked up. He also told them he had no intention of reclaiming her.
According to The Independent, Bigsen said he did not intend to hurt Allie, as he had gotten the dog for his daughter in July.
"I was crying when I left her because I didn't want to leave her," he told the Daily Mail. "I knew someone would end up taking her."
After days of trying to contact the dog's owner, Updegrove got in touch with Bigsen.
"He broke the law. He understood he did," Updegrove told the Daily Mail.
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According to WHO 13, Allie will be spayed, microchipped, and taken to the vet before being placed up for adoption. Updegrove also told the outlet that Bigsen "verbally relinquished" Allie to ARL and gave the rescue permission to rehome her.
Bigsen has been charged with animal neglect and care and treatment of animals by the Des Moines Police Department, per WHO 13.
Per Iowa state law, abandonment of an animal is a misdemeanor, with the level of punishment depending on the harm done to the animal. Fines can range from $105 to $8,540, and prison time from 30 days to 2 years, according to The Independent.
