A pet of any kind or size, needs to be restrained AND attended to by its owner.  It cannot be left on its own at the airport (or any public facility) for any length of time.  This pet lost its life because of the owner's inattention - distracted by the luggage, the truck and the baby.  The story could have easily been about someone being bowled over by a "sweet" pet, hitting their head on the pavement and dying.  I'm sorry for your loss but this is a lesson to be learned by everyone.