8 flights at Logan delayed as poodle toys with freedom

Cramped after a Saturday night flight from Detroit, Choochy the poodle broke free after her plane landed at Logan and for the next 17 hours, the tiny white fugitive managed to elude nearly a dozen Massport employees and State Police, holding up runway traffic as she cavorted on the tarmac.

Her romp ended yesterday afternoon when she was finally coaxed into custody, but not before she managed to delay at least eight flights for about 20 minutes each, according to Phil Orlandella, a Massport spokesman, who said the pup "did create a little havoc."

Gideon Lester, who was headed to New York, watched from his window aboard his 11 a.m. US Airways flight, which sat on the runway for 25 minutes as five Massport vans drove in circles trying to corral Choochy.

The poodle "seemed to be having a good time," said Lester, artistic director of the American Repertory Theatre. "They looked like they were running cattle."

His fellow passengers were mostly amused rather than annoyed by the runaway, he said, but were "a little incredulous that it would take so many men so many hours to catch this little dog."

Lester's flight took off after the crew managed to chase Choochy off the runway, into the grass.

The State Police dog unit assisted Massport's fire and rescue staff and operations personnel in corralling Choochy at about 12:40 p.m., enticing her with dog food.

The dog had eluded officials Saturday night when she made her break, Orlandella said, because employees could not find her in the dark.

Orlandella said Choochy must have escaped from her kennel while the plane was being unloaded after landing at 7:15 p.m. Saturday.

"Obviously, she's hungry and she's afraid," Orlandella said earlier in the day as employees chased Choochy around the runways. A safe but tired Choochy was reunited with her family, who live in Revere. Orlandella would not release the name of her family.