Remove the laptop, make sure liquids are in a sealed bag, and don’t forget to take the dog out of your carry-on.
But those safety procedures weren’t followed by one traveler, after a dog was spotted curled up in a backpack going through the X-ray machine at a Wisconsin airport.
The dog’s unexpected trip occurred at the Dane County Regional Airport, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said.
TSA’s Great Lakes Division tweeted: “When traveling with any pet, let your airline know and know their rules.
“At the checkpoint, remove your pet from the bag and send all items, including the empty carrier, to be checked into the machine.”
The X-ray image showed the little dog lying in the backpack, which was pictured in a gray safety tray.
The TSA tweeted a video demonstrating the “proper way to travel with your pet,” which showed a man taking his cat out of its carrier and holding it as it passed through the security checkpoint.
The agency said alternative screening options may be available “if you think your pet will attempt an escape.”
The TSA is no stranger to discovering pets. In 2015, they reunited a chihuahua with its owner after officers found the dog inside a checked suitcase.
In that case the owner “had no idea” the dog had come in, with the agency saying it “was shocked when we told her we had her dog”.
The safety confusion this week appears to have come about due to dog owner confusion about the correct process for scanning pets.
TSA spokeswoman Jessica Mayle told USA Today the passenger was “not aware” of the required screening protocol for the animals and did not tell TSA officials.
He confirmed the dog, a Chihuahua dachshund mix, was unharmed when he got out of the car on Sunday, “just a little skittish.”
According to the TSA website, animals should never go through an X-ray tunnel.
