A dog that went missing at a US airport for three weeks has been found safe and well.
Six-year-old Maia escaped onto the airfield at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport last month.
According to Airports Council International, it was the busiest airport in the world last year.
"ATL's Operations team found her hiding near the North Cargo facilities," the airport said in a social media statement.
"Tired but in apparent good health, she was transported to a vet and is expected to return home soon."
The airport released a photo of Maia after the ordeal, wearing a blue collar with shells on it.
Maia belongs to Delta Air Lines passenger Paula Rodriguez from the Dominican Republic, CNN reports.
Rodriguez had taken Maia on holiday – but upon arrival in Atlanta, Rodriguez was told her visa didn't meet the necessary requirements. She spent the night in a detention centre. A Delta agent took Maia somewhere else, she told CNN.
The next day, Rodriguez arrived at her flight’s gate early, expecting to meet Maia there – but instead, she was left with no choice but to board the flight alone, not knowing what had happened.
"Everyone who knows me knows what she means to me," Rodriguez said. "I don't go anywhere without her.
"She's so well behaved that I take her to restaurants, literally everywhere. She's my partner in everything."
It was two days before a Delta representative told her what had happened, Rodriguez said.
"He said that she was being transported (to the plane) on the runway, and staff had opened her kennel, and she had escaped into the middle of the runway," she told CNN, adding her mother flew to Atlanta to assist in the search.
"We are thankful for the teamwork that has led to our customer's dog's recovery," a Delta spokesperson told the Washington Post.
"Delta is working to reunite the dog with our customer as soon as possible."
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