A woman who was accused of abandoning her dog at Las Vegas’ airport could face jail time after failing to appear in court.
Authorities issued a bench warrant for Germiran Denae-Nicole Bryson, 26, on Tuesday after she missed her arraignment on three misdemeanor charges.
Bryson allegedly left the goldendoodle pup at Harry Reid International Airport on February 2. At the time, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement that Bryson had abandoned the dog after being told she needed to fill out an online form in order to bring him on board.
Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Diana Sullivan, who issued the warrant for Bryson, saidthat she received a call from one of the defendant’s family members, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
According to the caller, Bryson was in a hospital in another state and could not attend the arraignment.
“Given the fact that I don’t have any supporting information of when the defendant may be able to be present in court, there is a bench warrant $5,000 total cash or surety,” Sullivan said.
The defendant’s brother, Gerrayl Bryson, earlier told 8 News Now that his sister was not of sound judgment due to a disability, which she sustained in the military.
Gerrayl said that his sister had been planning to leave Las Vegas to move in with relatives, but that her disability made the situation at the airport difficult to handle.
“A stranger grabs her and how that might escalate a situation for a person with a past like hers,” he said. “On top of that, you know, her leaving her dog, who is her very best friend and she travels with him everywhere, is another sign of the severity and degradation of her condition.”
During the incident at the airport, Bryson had tied her dog to a metal carry-on baggage sizer and left him at a JetBlue ticket counter, according to the LVMPD statement.
Despite being refused a boarding pass, Bryson headed to the gate, where she was stopped by officers. According to the statement, she insisted that the dog had a tracking device.
Officers took Bryson back through the security checkpoint, where they claim she became hostile and resisted attempts to detain her.
Animal Protective Services swooped in to take temporary custody of the dog, but Bryson never returned to reclaim him.
Eventually, the young dog was adopted by LVMPD Officer Skeeter Black and his family.
Black had been involved in the pooch’s initial rescue, according to Fox 5.
Speaking to the outlet, Black said he was “very excited” to introduce the dog to his family.
“We’re going to enjoy him,” he said. “He’s going to be very much loved. We’re just excited.”
In their initial statement, the LVMPD confirmed that the dog had been given the nickname “Jet Blue.”
The Las Vegas case preceded a similar incident at Pittsburgh International Airport, where a Labrador puppy was abandoned on the curb near the departures area.
Omar Perez, 42, was arrested on animal cruelty charges in connection with the incident, according to a statement from the Allegheny County Police Department.
Perez initially told officers that he had seen an Uber driver discarding the animal.
However, authorities later determined that Perez was the dog’s owner and that he had abandoned it after learning he could not fly with the pet.
