DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) - On December 29th, 2022, a man abandoned his dog at the Des Moines International Airport, before boarding a flight to New Jersey.

Investigators say 24-year-old Charles Simon Bigsen tied his dog with a short leash to a post outside the airport. The dog had no access to food, water, or shelter. Bigsen then entered the airport and boarded a flight to Newark. An airport employee later found the dog, covered it with a blanket, and stayed with it until police arrived.

Police say the dog would have died if not for the airport employee spotting and helping it.

Bigsen told investigators he made no arrangements for the dog to be retrieved and that he had no intentions of reclaiming the dog.

He’s been charged with Abandonment of an Animal and Care and Treatment of an Animal. Both charges are misdemeanors.

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