What is an emotional support animal? How can you get one and what are their rights?

Elle Vickery10 February 2018

A woman was stopped at an airport for attempting to take her emotional support hamster on her flight with her.

She then flushed her down the toilet in a panic after claiming a member of airport staff had told her to.

The Miami Herald reports before Belen Aldecosea flew home from college to South Florida, she twice called Spirit Airlines to ensure she could bring Pebbles, her pet dwarf hamster.

A spokesman for Spirit acknowledged the airline mistakenly told Ms Aldecosea that Pebbles was allowed. But he denied that a Spirit employee recommended flushing her pet in an airport bathroom.

The tale sparked backlash with some branding Ms Aldecosea a "psychopath".

But what is an emotional support pet and how can you get one?

Although it is not recognised in the UK, emotional support animals (ESA) are given to people who have been diagnosed with an emotional disability.

Once diagnosis has been cleared by a licensed doctor, the patient will then receive relevant documentation to prove the animal is needed for health reasons.

Are they allowed to fly?

Such pets are allowed to accompany their owner on flights, however if they may harm others then the airline can refuse.

@TheJetSetTV

Any animal can be an ESA it just may be more convenient for you to pick a puppy rather than a peacock.

One woman learnt this the hard way when she tried to take her chosen support peacock on a flight from New Jersey and was not allowed due to safety concerns of other passengers.

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