Flying may be a thing for some squirrels, but it simply may not be for everyone.
A case in point: Police had to remove a woman from a plane because she insisted she needed her emotional support squirrel with her.
Animals are a comfort and we totally get why for some people having their emotional support animal with them can make an arduous and perhaps anxiety-ridden plane ride easier to endure.
But if you need a squirrel with you in order to get on a plane, it may be time to consider other modes of transportation.
The woman was on a Frontier Airlines plane at Orlando and was told that squirrels do not abide by Frontier’s support animal policy.
“The passenger noted in their reservation that they were bringing an emotional support animal but it was not incidated [sic] that it was a squirrel,” the airline said in a statement provided to Orlando ABC affiliate WFTV. “Rodents, including squirrels, are not allowed on Frontier flights.”
According to its website, Frontier’s policy reads:
We do not accept unusual or exotic animals including but not limited to rodents, reptiles, insects, hedgehogs, rabbits, sugar gliders, non-household birds or improperly cleaned and/or animals with foul odor.”
But not only was the woman removed, everyone on the flight had to deplane after she refused to exit.
“When she refused to deplane Orlando Police were called and requested that everyone be deplaned so they could deal with the passenger,” Frontier said in its statement. “Police eventually escorted the passenger off the aircraft and took her to the main terminal.”
Video shot by passengers on the plane showed the woman being taken off the plane in a wheelchair as she was jeered for refusing to comply with the airline’s orders. She flashed a middle finger and then thumbs up as people clapped for her removal.
i just want everyone to know that all passengers had to deplane my flight to cleveland because a woman brought a SQUIRREL ON THE PLANE pic.twitter.com/TAdzUuKRWe
— Julia Papesch (@julia_papesch) October 10, 2018
The plane which was destined for Cleveland from Orlando did depart two hours later.
Airlines cracked down on what animals could be brought on board flights for emotional support after photos and videos of a number of unique animals went viral earlier this year.
In January, a woman tried to bring a peacock on board a flight in Newark, New Jersey, which prompted United to update its guidelines for emotional support animals.
