Japanese airport dogged by runaway poodle

A poodle's dash for freedom briefly shut down one runway at a major Japanese airport today, forcing its owner to come out and catch the canine, police said.

The fully-grown dog escaped at Tokyo's Haneda airport while cargo crews were loading its cage onto a Japan Airlines flight bound for Naha in Okinawa around 8:50 am, airport police said.

It appeared to enjoy its brief taste of freedom, dashing across a runway and sniffing around in grassy areas.

But officials had to close one of four runways for a total of six minutes, causing delays for 14 flights, said a police spokesman.

In the end the poodle's owner had to come out to catch the pet about 40 minutes later.