An emotional support dwarf hamster named Pebbles was killed by its owner after she was told it would not be allowed on an airplane to Florida.
21-year-old college student Belen Aldecosea was scheduled to fly home for Thanksgiving and wanted to take her pet hamster Pebbles with her. She called Spirit Airlines in advance of the flight and was advised that the hamster would only be allowed on the aircraft as an "emotional support" animal.
When Aldecosea arrived at the gate, however, her pet was denied passage and she could not figure out any other way to get home. Aldecosea claimed that an airline employee told her that she could either flush the animal down the toilet or let it loose outside.
After unsuccessful attempts to rent a car, the 21-year-old student (who supposedly needed emotional support in order to fly) chose to kill the hamster by flushing it down the toilet.
"She was scared. I was scared. It was horrifying trying to put her in the toilet,” Aldecosea claimed afterwards. “I sat there for a good 10 minutes crying in the stall."
Derek Dombrowski, spokesman for Spirit Airlines, acknowledged that the company had mistakenly told Aldocosea that the hamster was permitted to fly, but denied that killing the animal was their idea. “At no point did any of our agents suggest this guest should flush or otherwise injure an animal,” Dombrowski said in a statement. “It is incredibly disheartening to hear this guest reportedly decided to end her own pet’s life.”
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