Chihuahua sneaks into owners’ holiday suitcase - and is only discovered because she made the bag too heavy

Jared and Kristi Owens were flying from their hometown of Lubbock, Texas, to Las Vegas last month, heading off on a long weekend as husband and wife… Or so they thought.

Metro reports that when they got to the check-in desk to drop off their bags, the pair realised they had a stowaway – their beloved dog Icky.

As their suitcase pinged as almost six pounds overweight, Jared and Kristi got to work opening and rearranging their luggage, expecting that a pair of shoes or some toiletries had tipped the scales. But as they opened the case, they saw their chihuahua poking her head out of one of Jared’s cowboy boots.

Speaking to local radio station, KCBD, Jared said: ‘Literally, there’s our dog coming out of my boot, coming out of my boot with her head bopping up. ‘She’s the burrower, that’s what she does. She burrows in clothes, she burrows in, obviously suitcases now.’

Aside from the shock, the couple were now stumped over what to do with Icky, but a kind Southwest Airlines employee, Cathy Cook, stepped in to watch the pup.

‘They have got a heck of an employee in Cathy,’ added Jared. ‘She went above and beyond and never made us feel, you know, they could have turned us in saying we were trying to smuggle a dog to Vegas or something. ‘Never acted like that, they were extremely gracious. Like I said, she was willing to watch our dog for us while we were gone.’

Jared posted on Facebook when they had Icky safe and sound, writing: ‘You know it’s going to be an epic trip to Vegas when you get to the airport to check your bags….6lbs over weight, and out pops a chihuahua from your boot!! Unreal!’

And although it worked out as a funny story, the owners haven’t forgotten how differently it could have ended.

‘Thank goodness we found this dog,’ continued Jared, ‘because you would have gotten to Vegas, and you probably would have had a deceased animal in your bag.’ Icky’s little trick got her a free holiday at Cathy’s, but let her story serve as a warning to check your bags if you have pets.

(Story source: Metro)