TSA officials find dog in passenger’s bag at Wisconsin airport

(NEXSTAR) – Are we all losing our doggone minds?

Just a few weeks after TSA officials in New York found a cat inside a passenger’s checked bag, a traveler at a Wisconsin airport accidentally sent a dog through the X-ray unit inside a backpack, according to the TSA.

The Great Lakes division of the Transportation Security Administration shared news of the incident on Twitter Tuesday afternoon, along with photos of the dog as it appeared on the X-ray unit at Dane County Regional Airport (MSN) in Madison on Sunday.

“The passenger was unaware of screening protocol and did not alert the Transportation Security Officers that there was a small dog (dachshund/Chihuahua mix) in a backpack style carrier,” Jessica Mayle, a TSA spokesperson for the Great Lakes region, told Nexstar.

The on-duty TSA officer confirmed the passenger was not trying to hide the dog, and the X-ray operator informed her of the proper screening processes.

“After her bags were cleared, she proceeded to her gate,” Mayle said.

In its tweet, the TSA reminded followers to review TSA and airline regulations before bringing any pets through a screening checkpoint.

“When traveling with any animal, notify your airline & know their rules,” the TSA added. “At the checkpoint, remove your pet from the bag and send all items, including the empty carrier, to be screened in the machine.”

The TSA then shared a video demonstrating the “proper” way to go through a screening checkpoint with a pet — i.e., by removing the animal from its carrier prior to sending the crate or cage through the X-ray unit.

Oddly enough, TSA officials in New York City were forced to deal with a similar incident on Nov. 16, when a cat was found inside a checked bag at John F. Kennedy International Airport. In that case, the passenger wasn’t even aware the cat — which belonged to his roommate — had stowed away inside the bag.