Student flushed her emotional support hamster down the toilet when airline refused to let it on board
Belen Aldecosea says she was assured twice that rodent Pebbles could accompany her on board the Spirit Airlines plane
A STUDENT claims she was left with no option but to flush her emotional support hamster down the toilet when an airline refused to let it on board.
Belen Aldecosea, 21, says she was assured twice that rodent Pebbles could accompany her on board the Spirit Airlines plane.
But when she arrived at Baltimore Airport, Belen says staff denied "loving" Pebbles passage forcing her to give it the flush.
She told the : "I didn’t have any other options. She was scared.
"I was scared. It was horrifying trying to put her in the toilet.
"I was emotional. I was crying. I sat there for a good ten minutes crying in the stall."
Belen insisted she considered other options like car hire or taking a coach, but was left with little choice but to board the flight minus her pet rodent.
She said the alternative would have been to set Pebbles free to roam the dangerous streets of Baltimore - where crime drama The Wire is set.
Belen claims she even had a doctor's letter confirming Pebbles was an emotional crutch she needed in order to board the Florida-bound flight.
She added: "This wasn’t a giant peacock that could pose a danger to other passengers.
"This was a tiny cute harmless hamster that could fit in the palm of her hand."
A Spirit Airline spokesperson said: "To be clear, at no point did any of our agents suggest this guest (or any other for that matter) should flush or otherwise injure an animal."
The Sun reported back in November how a woman was kicked off her flight when he emotional support PIG caused havoc on board a plane.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours