Airlines employee told student to flush emotional support hamster down the toilet

[Aquinan]

How can she thing flushing the hamster down a toilet is better than it running free?

Also I think unless your a vet with PTSD emotional support animals are bullshit, you shouldn't be allowed to take them everywhere they are nothing like a service dog. It's getting ridiculous.

These "support" animals are getting ridiculous. Hey I want to bring my emotional support hippo on the plane with me!!!111111

[IIamaKing]

Smells like a farm.

[Sykol]

Any sort of support that is out of the ordinary seems to get demonized, often by stereotyping those who seek said support as all trying to game the system. It's a sad state of affairs unfortunately.

As a kid, I liked my dog a lot, but that didn't give me carte blanche to just bring it everywhere I went all willy-nilly, which seems to be the case with these people now. You've got people with peacocks and monkeys and gerbils like they're Dr. Dolittle, and it's gotten to the point where you look at it more like someone just not wanting to leave their animals behind or pay to travel with them, so they come up with something ridiculous like guide pigeons and emotional support hamsters. It's literally insane.

[Super Kami Dende]

Hamsters are rodents. You don't need more Rodents just running around. Either Flush it, or pay the cost of transporting a fucking rodent.

[Treno]

As a kid, I liked my dog a lot, but that didn't give me carte blanche to just bring it everywhere I went all willy-nilly, which seems to be the case with these people now. You've got people with peacocks and monkeys and gerbils like they're Dr. Dolittle, and it's gotten to the point where you look at it more like someone just not wanting to leave their animals behind or pay to travel with them, so they come up with something ridiculous like guide pigeons and emotional support hamsters. It's literally insane.

I'm not quite sure how to respond, I don't disagree with you that there are definitely those who do game the system. My point was that people seem to think it's okay to delegitimize all cases because some people abuse the system.

[Netherspark]

So... she killed her own hamster?

[Jonnusthegreat]

I'm not quite sure how to respond, I don't disagree with you that there are definitely those who do game the system. My point was that people seem to think it's okay to delegitimize all cases because some people abuse the system.

But it's not delegitimizing THIS case because she's an animal murderer.

[Putin-Chan]

Also I think unless your a vet with PTSD emotional support animals are bullshit.

What about blind people's guide dogs? I think that's kind of legit.

[Pickynerd]

I feel bad for the animal, as for the other two retards, shame there wasn't a failure that sucked them out of the cabin.

[Izalla]

Gonna choose to believe that she's full of shit and looking for attention and that this never happened because I don't want to know that this piece of shit flushed a live hamster down a toilet instead of doing literally anything else with it. Hell she already skipped her flight, go around asking everyone you can if they will take your hamster from you and bring it home to their child or something. Don't flush the damn thing down the toilet.

[RobertoCarlos]

So... she killed her own hamster?

Yes because someone apparently told her too. Its madness or bullshit

[Ripster42]

What about blind people's guide dogs? I think that's kind of legit.

IIRC, they're a different classification than emotional support animals. Those are service animals.

[Treno]

But it's not delegitimizing THIS case because she's an animal murderer.

I'm not sure what that has to do with what I said. I agree though that it was cruel to kill the hamster.

[Celista]

IIRC, they're a different classification than emotional support animals. Those are service animals.

ESAs are supposed to serve a legitimate purpose though (providing comfort). I'd be OK with ESAs requiring certification/training to be more in line with service animals to serve a more specific function though, there are some ESAs that in fact meet the requirements for service animals (particularly for individuals with anxiety disorders).

[Treno]

IIRC, they're a different classification than emotional support animals. Those are service animals.

Yeah, emotional support animals can work in similar ways, especially for subjects with debilitating mental illnesses like severe PTSD and many diagnoses on the Autism Spectrum, but they aren't classified as service animals.

[Schmittay]

While I'm sure people do abuse the emotional support animal thing, I think people who just dismiss it have obviously never gone through crippling depression. Several years back I cut everyone out of my life but I still had my cat and when you feel completely hopeless and nothing will help, having your little furry friend come sit on your lap and start purring can be the difference between doing something stupid or plodding on another day.

But this girl...you don't intentionally hurt or kill your animal, ever. You ALWAYS find a way if you have any sort of soul, even if it means giving it away or putting you out. No one forced her to do what she did and she must be sick.

[Harry Botter]

The girl was likely disingenuous when she called. She probably asked if she could bring her support animal with her and they assumed it was a dog with official papers and it's vest and said yes. Then the dumbass showed up with a fucking hamster trying to weasel her way onto the plane.

I bet she got all the emotional support she needed watching it's beady eyes as it swirled that bowl though. Hahahaha, when you lie about your hamster being for "emotional support" then have to murder it yourself. Sounds more like an "emotional scarring" pet to me. How are people in their early 20s still this stupid, it sounds like something from Home Alone or something.

This made me laugh way more than it should have.

[Direpenguin]

Couldn't possibly be that ridiculous airline fees for animal transportation means people claim pets as 'emotional support animals' in order to save costs.

Blame the airlines, not the consumers.

So does this also mean we blame the pet food companies when people can't afford to care for their cat or dog and dump it on the side of a county road? Yes, blame the evil corporations because adults make stupid decisions.

That being said, did anyone else hear the "Sexual harassment... pan-da.." jingle in their head when reading "emotional support hamster"?

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But this girl...you don't intentionally hurt or kill your animal, ever.

Am I the only one who thinks she should be brought up on animal cruelty charges?

[Najnaj]

Fox News.....

Just whan you thought they could not get any worse.

[Direpenguin]

Fox News.....

Just whan you thought they could not get any worse.

Yeah, how dare them report on .. you know .. the news.