A college student traveling home for medical treatment was forced to make an excruicating decision, miss her flight or flush her emotional support hamster down the toilet. According to Fox News, Belen Aldecosea, said she confirmed she would be allowed to bring her dwarf hamster Pebbles on the flight with Spirit Airlines twice before showing up at the airport, but when she went to board her flight, was told the tiny rodent would not be allowed to board with her.
An employee of Spirit Airlines allegedly told Belen that she could either release her pet into the wild or flush it down the toilet.
She attempted to rent a car but was told she was too young. With her family in Florida, and her closest friends hours away she was forced into making an unthinkable choice; flush her beloved pet down the toilet, or release it into the wild where it would likely die.
“She was scared. I was scared. It was horrifying trying to put her in the toilet,” Aldecosea said. “I was emotional. I was crying. I sat there for a good 10 minutes crying in the stall.”
Spirit Airlines admitted that an employee incorrectly told her hamster would be allowed on the flight. The airline does not allow rodents to fly on any flight. The spokesman adamantly denied that an employee told her to kill Pebbles by flushing it down the toilet.
"After researching this incident, 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. It is incredibly disheartening to hear this guest reportedly decided to end her own pet’s life."
Aldecosea said she is considering legal action against the airline.
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