Holiday gifts taken from luggage, replaced with dog food

A woman returned from a flight to Europe with more than $3,000 worth of gifts in her luggage found the contents gone and replaced with dog food

Gina Sheldon of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, returned from a trip to Europe on Friday and found that her Christmas gifts were replaced with dog food.

In a page right out of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, a woman who returned from a flight to Europe with more than $3,000 worth of gifts in her luggage found the contents gone — and replaced with dog food.

Gina Sheldon, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, also found an old T-shirt and a shaving cream bottle in her bag, WMUR-TV reported on Friday.

“There was a leather jacket I had purchased for my 16-year-old,” Sheldon said. “I had bought these really cute leather wristlet band purses that I had bought to give to various family and friends.”

Ms Sheldon said she spent 11 days in Italy and stopped in Paris for a few days for business on her way home recently.

“When it goes through the scan and it continued on its journey, it looks like a real luggage product," she said about the objects that ended up in her bag.

Sheldon booked her flight through Delta Air Lines, but it was operated by Air France.

“We apologize for this customer’s experience following Air France flight 334," Delta told the station in a statement. “We have affirmatively connected with our partners at Air France and the customer to find a resolution.”

Ms Sheldon said she appreciates Delta's concern and helping her file a claim for the goods.

"I went to a friend's house for a holiday party and I had all these different gifts to give them, and instead I walked in with a bottle of champagne and a good story," Ms Sheldon told Boston's NBC 10.

The Associated Press contributed to this report