A Spirit passenger claims employees suggested she flush her emotional-support hamster down the toilet — and she did it

pulse

February 8, 2018 9:47 PM

The woman says the hamster was a certified emotional-support animal, and she may sue the airline.

A woman claims that a Spirit Airlines employee encouraged her to flush her pet hamster down an airport toilet.
The airline said that it mistakenly told the woman the hamster would be allowed on the flight, but it denied that any employees recommended flushing or harming the animal.
Spirit rebooked the woman on a flight nine hours after her original flight to give her "time to find other
The woman is reportedly considering filing a lawsuit against the airline.

The debate over what counts as an emotional-support animal, and which animals should be allowed on commercial flights, has become a near-crisis for airlines.

Now, Spirit Airlines is in trouble after a woman alleged that an airline employee encouraged her to flush her pet hamster, Pebbles, down an airport toilet, the Miami Herald first reported. The woman, Belen Aldecosea, claims the hamster was a certified emotional-support animal.

The incident stemmed from a miscommunication between Aldecosea and Spirit. Aldecosea said she called the airline twice to make sure her hamster would be allowed on her November 21 flight home from Baltimore to South Florida. Each time, an airline representative told her the hamster could fly with her, a Spirit spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider.

But Spirit doesn't let rodents on its flights, which a Spirit employee told Aldecosea before she went through security at .

Aldecosea says she was left in a difficult position. She didn't have any friends or family close enough to pick up the hamster, wasn't able to rent a car, and needed to return home to attend to a medical issue. Eventually, a Spirit employee allegedly suggested that Aldecosea release the hamster outside or flush it down an airport toilet.

Aldecosea chose the latter.

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