Frontier passenger removed from plane for emotional support squirrel

David Zalubowski / Associated
Press

• A woman was kicked off a Frontier
  Airlines flight en route from Orlando to Cleveland after
  the airline refused to allow the squirrel she was carrying be
  considered an “emotional support animal,” according to multiple
  reports.  
• Frontier Airlines requires emotional support animals or
  ESAs to be either a dog or a cat and does not allow “unusual or
  exotic animals including, but not limited to rodents, reptiles,
  insects hedgehogs, rabbits.” 
• Fox 8 Cleveland reports that when the crew explained
  the policy to the passenger and asked her to leave with the
  squirrel, she refused. Orlando police were called and the
  entire plane had to be deplaned so that they could escort the
  passenger off the aircraft. 
• Service animals are trained to assist people with
  disabilities — such as blindness or hearing loss — while
  emotional-support animals are companions that a mental health
  professional has determined benefits a person with a
  disability.

A woman was kicked off a Frontier Airlines flight after the
airline refused to allow the squirrel she was carrying be
considered an “emotional support animal,” according to
multiple reports.  

According to
Fox 8 Cleveland, Frontier Airlines Flight 1612 was
scheduled to take off from Orlando International Airport en route
to Cleveland on Tuesday when the incident occurred prior to take
off. 

“The passenger noted in their reservation that they were
bringing an emotional support animal but it was not indicated
that it was a squirrel,” the airline said in a statement provided
to
Orlando ABC affiliate WFTV.

Frontier Airlines did not respond to Business Insider when asked
for a comment. 

Frontier Airline
requires emotional support animals or ESAs to be either a dog
or a cat and does not allow “unusual or exotic animals including
but not limited to rodents, reptiles, insects, hedgehogs,
rabbits.” 

Fox 8
reports that when the crew explained the policy to the
passenger and asked her to leave with the squirrel, she refused.
Orlando police were called and the entire plane had to be
deplaned so they could escort the passenger off the
aircraft. 

West Palm Beach TV NBC 5
reports that the flight was delayed two hours before it
finally took off for Cleveland. 

Service animals are trained to assist people with
disabilities — such as blindness or hearing loss — while
emotional-support animals are companions that a mental health
professional has determined benefits a person with a
disability.

In the last year, most major domestic airlines have instituted
new policies aimed at limiting the kinds of animals that can be
considered “emotional support.”

For instance,
in July, Delta Air Lines announced “pit bull type
dogs” will no longer be accepted as service or emotional support
animals to accompany owners on flights, a policy change which
includes limiting one ESA per customer.

Starting
November 1, 2019, Frontier’s new ESA policy states the animal
must either be a cat or dog, be limited to one and stowed under
the seat. The airline requires 48 hours notice, a completed
Mental Health Professional Form signed by the customer’s licensed
mental health expert and an Animal Behavior Form signed by the
customer that acknowledges the animal takes trained
commands. 

Photos and videos of the women and her emotional support
squirrel being deboarded from the plane were posted on social
media on Wednesday.