A Florida college student has admitted to flushing her emotional support hamster down the loo after it was denied entry on her flight home to South Florida. Despite being told in advance that Pebbles would be allowed on the flight, when 21-year-old Belen Aldecosea arrived at the airport, she was told her dwarf hamster must be left behind.
Speaking to the Miami Herald, Aldecosea reported that a Spirit Airlines employee suggested she either flush Pebbles down the toilet or release him outside. After a lengthy and traumatic deliberation, a distraught Aldecosa decided on the latter. 'It was horrifying trying to put her in the toilet', she recalls. 'I sat there for a good 10 minutes crying in the stall'.
Spirit Airlines has denied that an employee encouraged Aldecosea to flush her pet away, but have admitted their failure in misleadingly suggesting that the hamster would be permitted on the flight.
Although his story is by far the most tragic, Pebbles is not the first emotional support pet to receive media attention in recent months. Last month, United Airlines denied access on its flight from Newark to LA to an ‘emotional support peacock’, despite its owner offering to buy the bird its own plane ticket. Fortunately, Dexter the peacock escaped unscathed, with its owner deciding to opt for a more animal-friendly road trip instead. Dexter’s Instagram account has also gained a considering following since the incident.
Another bird to find internet fame for his aviation exploits was the turkey who successfully boarded a Delta flight in 2016:
Since the peacock incident, however, both United and Delta airlines have tightened their policy on emotional support animals. According to a United spokesman, the airline had seen a 75% increase in travellers bringing such animals onto flights over the last year, with a 'significant increase in on-board incidents' involving biting, urination and allergic reactions. We're still not completely clear why Pebbles' was flushed down the toilet but what is for sure is that anyone wanting to fly with a furry friend might be better off finding alternative methods of travel.
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.