Texas State student Belen Aldecosea claims a Spirit Airline employee forced her to flush her emotional support hamster down the toilet.
In November, 21-year-old Aldecosea booked a flight home from Baltimore to Florida on Spirit Airlines. According to the Miami Herald, she called twice to ensure she could travel alongside her emotional support hamster. Spirit said she could.
However, upon arriving at the Baltimore-Washington Airport on Nov. 21, she was told she had been misinformed and was not allowed to board the plane with her hamster.
The Washington Post stated Aldecosia said a Spirit employee then suggested she either let the hamster free outdoors or flush it down the toilet. With no friends in town and an urgent medical issue to tend, Aldecosea said she felt forced to take the life of her hamster.
Aldecosea is now considering filing a lawsuit against Spirit for conveying mistaken information that ultimately pushed her to flush her hamster down the toilet. Spirit admits to misinforming Aldecosea about traveling alongside her emotional support hamster but denies an employee suggested she injure an animal.