Introduction

Several years ago, according to a story I heard, a couple

flew home to California from the East Coast on a major

commercial airline. They checked their luggage curbside.

Included was a dog in an animal carier.

After an uneventful, even plasant, flight they went to

the baggage claim area. After a short wait, the luggage start-

ed to tumble down the belt onto the circling conveyer. Fi-

nally, their familiar bags appeared one by one--all except

the dog in the special cage.

Before panic set in, they realized that perhaps the cage

was an oversized item and would be delivered to a different

area. After getting directions, they went to that area. No

dog.

Well, off it was to the baggage claim office to show their

baggage tags and fill out a lost-luggage form. A courteous

attendant told them not to worry. The dog was probably on

the next flight. Airline personnel would deliver the dog to

their home as soon as it showed up.

"Don t worry," he said. "Go home and get some rest.

We ll take care of your dog."

They took his advice and went home.

Now the airline baggage handlers at the terminal went to

work searching for the lost dog. They couldn t find it any-

where in the usual places it might be. Perhaps it really was

on another flight or routed to the wrong destination in error.

One of the handlers suddenly noticed what looked like