TAMPA, Fla. (WFTS) — A neglected senior dog is now on the mend after it was abandoned at Tampa International Airport when the owner didn’t have the right paperwork to bring it on a flight.

Tampa International Airport police chief Charlie Vazquez says he’s never seen anything like it.

"The ticket agent required her to have vaccination papers for the dog as well as the travel fee and when she didn’t have either she told the gate agent she’d make other arrangements," said Vazquez.

But that’s not what happened. Vazquez says she then left the American Airlines ticketing counter, let go of the dog’s leash and just kept on walking.

The chief says surveillance video, that they cannot release due to security reasons, shows the woman discarding the dog and boarding a flight Alabama without him.

"We love animals and to treat an animal like that is really shocking," said Vazquez.

Corinn Smith with VIP Rescue was called and says the elderly dog’s neglect began long before being abandoned.

"He has several sores, he has an ear infection, he was severely matted," said Smith.

Now the dog, whose microchip says he is 14 and named Bama, is on the mend.

Smith says she is adopting Bama to give him the loving life he deserves but she believes the little guy also deserves justice.

"The woman needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, there’s no excuse for this," said Smith.

Chief Vazquez says the state attorney’s office does plan to press charges. He says they have not been able to reach the woman who abandoned the dog but he wants this to be a lesson to people to traveling with pets.

"We recommend before you get to the airport contact the airline and find out what the requirements are whether there are fees, and what kind of paperwork you need for the animal. If you get here and you don’t(have those things), please don’t abandon the animal. Contact somebody and we’ll make arrangements," said Vazquez.

This story was originally reported by Wendi Lane on abcactionnews.com.

TAMPA, Fla. – A Tampa boy received a big surprise from his hero for his third birthday.

City of Tampa worker Leroy Lentz says each morning he goes out to collect waste, Marlon waits for him to greet him with excitement.

The two have become good friends and for Leroy, their chats and waves never fail to brighten his day.

To show appreciation for Marlon, Leroy and Tampa’s Management Department teamed up to bring a socially-distant party over to the little boy’s neighborhood.

On Tuesday, the community held a birthday parade to celebrate Marlon, and Leroy was able to surprise the little boy with cake and a toy garbage truck.

“The Department really appreciates those customers who take time to say hello and thank you. Recognizing the impact these essential workers have in our community is so appreciated,” Mayor Jane Castor’s office said in a statement. “We are thrilled to give Marlon a birthday to remember.”

Below is the video of the festivities:

This story originally reported by KJ Hiramoto on abcactionnews.com.

TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa school resource officer was fired for using racial slurs on two separate occasions, the department said.

Tampa police said Delvin White was an 8-year veteran of the department and was most recently assigned as a school resource officer at Middleton High School.

On Nov. 13, 2020, White was on a phone call when his body-worn camera captured him using a racial slur.

While under investigation, White told his supervisor there was another incident on Nov. 30, 2020, where he used the same racial slur while making an arrest.

The body-worn camera caught White using discriminatory language twice while making an arrest.

"Derogatory statements made by police officers jeopardize the trust that our department works to establish with our community," said Chief Brian Dugan. "Tampa Police officers are held to a higher standard and incidents like this negatively impact the entire law enforcement profession."

This article was written by Lisette Lopez for WFTS.