Man dares hurricane in Florida after airline refuses to let him fly with dog

A man who was trying to flee from Hurricane Irma was told by an airline that he couldn’t board a flight with his dog – so he decided to ride out the violent storm instead.

Agency report said that Matt Vargas was preparing to jet out of Miami, Florida as millions are leaving the state ahead of winds raging up to 155mph that are swirling towards its southern coast.

He rushed around to at least 10 pet shops to buy a carrier for his dog Mika – aware that it is the rule to cage an animal before it can travel in the hold area of a plane.

He failed to get one as the stores were all out of stock, so decided to chance his luck and arrived at Miami International Airport to buy a plane ticket with his pet in tow.

But workers at the only airline with available seats out of Miami turned him away.

He eventually decided to return home to the Kendall area of Miami and brave Irma rather than abandon Mika because of the policy.

Mr Vargas said: “I waited an hour in line and I don’t have a pet carrier – and they won’t let me on without a pet carrier.
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“So I’m heading back just to ride out the storm.”

It came as Irma is swirling towards the south of Florida with winds reaching up to 155mph, leaving a trail of destruction across the Caribbean that claimed at least 13 lives.