Bogotá officials seek U.S. visa revocations for pet abandoners

Antonio Hernández, director of Bogotá’s District Institute for the Protection and Welfare of Animals (IDPYBA), has requested that the United States Embassy revoke the visas of travelers who abandon pets at El Dorado International Airport.

The request follows an incident involving a Colombian couple traveling from Miami who, after being flagged by the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) for documentation irregularities regarding two animals, abandoned the canines at a checkpoint before continuing their flight to Cali. Authorities have obtained the individuals' personal identification and U.S. visa records to initiate administrative and criminal proceedings through the Attorney General’s Office.

This follows previous instances of animal abandonment at the airport, including a two-month-old puppy found in the international terminal in March 2025.