Throw his hamster in the airport toilet because his presence was not allowed on board. The story of the young Belen and her unfortunate furry friend went around the world. The girl would have been forced to "get rid" of the animal at the suggestion of the airline staff. And it is controversy
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
Throw his hamster in the airport toilet because his presence was not allowed on board. The story of the young Belen and her unfortunate furry friend went around the world. The girl would have been forced to "get rid" of the animal at the suggestion of the airline staff. And it is controversy.
Before Belen Aldecosea returned home to Miami from the college where she was studying, she had contacted Spirit Airlines twice to make sure she could bring along a special guest: Pebbles, her dwarf hamster. No problem, she had assured her of company. But when Belen showed up for boarding at Baltimore airport, Spirit denied her the ability to fly her hamster.
According to the young student, an airline representative suggested that she dump Pebbles in an airport restroom. Panicked and forced to go home as soon as possible to deal with a medical problem, Belen unsuccessfully tried other options, including renting a car.
“Pebbles was scared. I was scared. It was horrible trying to put him in the bathroom ", he said Aldecosea. "I sat for 10 minutes crying."
The girl is now considering the possibility of bring a lawsuit against Spirit Airlines for conflicting instructions that prompted her to make a distressing decision about a pet certified by her doctor as "emotionally supportive".
So he decided to tell his story to the Miami Herald also in the light of a similar case that occurred in recent weeks and concerning a peacock considered to be of emotional support, which was denied entry on a United Airlines flight.
This case is very different, his attorney Adam Goodman said. “It wasn't a giant peacock that could pose a danger to other passengers. It was a harmless little hamster that could fit in the palm of his hand ”.
A spokesperson for Spirit acknowledged this: the airline had mistakenly told her that Pebbles was allowed on board. However, she denied that an employee suggested throwing it away.
After a few days, Aldecosea says he sent the company an e-mail to complain and in response he received a voucher for a free flight to some cities. Coupon promptly refused.
In recent years, animals on flights have become a lightning rod for controversy in the United States. From 2016 to 2017, American Airlines saw an increase of more than 40% in passengers flying with an assistance or support animal. In recent weeks, several airlines have tightened restrictions on service and emotional support animals. Yet the Transportation Safety Administration has not placed restrictions on hamsters.
Aldecosea claims that Pebbles was a true comfort animal and had a letter from his doctor certifying it.
“Hamsters are welcome at our checkpoint. Their container normally goes through X-rays as the owner keeps the hamster with him as he goes through the metal detector so the creature is not subjected to radiation, ”says Transportation Safety Administration spokesperson Sari Koshetz.
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It is up to the airlines to decide whether to allow hamsters on board. Typically, emotional support animals are cats and dogs, but squirrels and sheep have also been allowed in the US.
The advice for travelers is to always make sure of the conditions set by the airline with which they are turning, which the girl had also done, unfortunately receiving incorrect information.
And maybe give up flying, rather than unloading your pet in the toilet ...
Francesca Mancuso
