A man faces a penalty of $12,000 after attempting to sneak a loaded handgun and his pet dog past security agents in the US.
The man was arrested at Baltimore Airport after the gun was discovered at a security checkpoint.
After spotting the firearm through the X-ray machine, the man’s dog was then discovered in a second bag as it passed through the machine.
The passenger was also carrying a small knife, the Transportation Security Administration said.
He was arrested on state weapons charges and the gun was confiscated.
"It’s difficult to say which of the two was more surprising — the X-ray image of the gun or the image of the dog’s moving skeleton," the TSA said.
"Firearms are never allowed at checkpoints and pets should not be placed through X-ray machines."
The dog was inside what looked like a duffel bag but was in fact a soft case pet carrier.
Under TSA rules, all pets must be removed from checked bags before X-ray screening and carried through metal detectors by their owners.
The man has not been named and could face a civil penalty of up to $12,000.
