Having to say goodbye to your beloved pet when you're flying home is heartbreaking enough, but you have to feel sorry for one 'emotional support hamster' who ended up being more than left behind.
21-year-old student Belen Aldecosea - of Miami Beach, Florida - flushed her dwarf hamster Pebbles down an airport toilet after Spirit Airlines denied it passage as she tried to fly home to south Florida last November.
The student said that an airline employee advised that her only options were to flush the animal down the toilet or let it loose outside, despite being assured in advance the hamster could fly with her.
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CHECK OUT THIS HAMSTER THAT LIVES IN ITS OWN HOUSE:
According to the Miami Herald, Aldecosea agonised over the decision for hours and unsuccessfully tried to rent a car before eventually choosing to do the unthinkable.
"She was scared. I was scared. It was horrifying trying to put her in the toilet," Aldecosea told the local newspaper. "I was emotional. I was crying. I sat there for a good 10 minutes crying in the stall."
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Derek Dombrowski, a spokesman for Spirit Airlines, admitted that the airline mistakenly told Aldocosea that Pebbles was allowed to fly, but denied that they'd recommended killing the poor hamster.
"We can say confidently that at no point did any of our agents suggest this guest (or any other for that matter) should flush or otherwise injure an animal," Dombrowski said.
"It is incredibly disheartening to hear this guest reportedly decided to end her own pet's life."
Aldecosea is now considering filing a lawsuit against Spirit Airlines for the incident after rejecting the airline's offer of a free flight voucher.
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Pebbles is only the latest of the unusual emotional support animals used by people scared of flying, which are usually no weirder than just dogs and cats.
Just last month, a frightened flyer tried to take his peacock Dexter aboard a United Airlines flight setting off from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.
The airline refused to allow Dexter to get on board the aircraft, despite the passenger going so far as buying the huge bird its own ticket for the flight. Can you imagine the chaos that would have caused?
Under America's Air Carrier Access Act, certain emotional support animals are allowed to travel with their owners on flights, as long as the pet has the right documentation, isn't a threat and doesn't interfere with others.
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A United spokesperson said they rejected the peacock for several reasons, including its weight and size. At least Dexter didn't end up swirling down the loo...
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