Woman stopped from bringing "emotional support peacock" onto plane

Scarinae · 01-02-2018 05:03PM #1

A United Airlines passenger who tried to take her “emotional support peacock” with her on a flight from Newark to Los Angeles was turned away by the airline because of health and safety concerns.

A female traveller was recently banned from taking a large "emotional-support peacock" on board a United Airlines flight, it has emerged.

She had offered to buy the bird its own plane ticket, according to travel blog Live and Let Fly.

Nonetheless the airline refused to let the bird board at Newark airport in New Jersey, saying it did not meet guidelines due to its weight and size.

United says this was explained to the traveller before she arrived at Newark.

Pictures of the striking bird and its owner, attempting to travel to Los Angeles, emerged via The Jet Set, a travel-based talk show.

The images show the animal perched on an airport baggage trolley, as fellow passengers gaze at it in shock.

After six hours at the airport, the exotic bird and its human companions decided to take to the road and instead drive across the US.

It's pretty funny a bizarre sort of way, but it's also made me wonder if stunts like this make it harder for people who have genuine support animals to be taken seriously - I don't think the peacock really is a support animal, he belongs to an artist who originally got him for an art installation.

The peacock, reportedly called Dexter, belongs to Brooklyn-based artist Ventiko, who documents its life on social media.

"I have never left the house without having at least one person react," Ventiko told a local culture website in 2017.

The artist, whose real name is not known, told Bedford and Bowery that the feathery giant "really changed my life in a positive way".

She originally bought Dexter and a peahen called Etta for an art installation. She later found them a new home from which Etta and her offspring disappeared.

The loss affected Dexter's behaviour and Ventiko came to his rescue after hearing that the bird was housed in a garage. Following a failed stint at an upstate New York farm, Ventiko finally decided to welcome Dexter into her Bushwick loft.

Now involved in her photography and performance art, the exotic bird appears to enjoy his New York life.

However, he avoids public transportation, like the subway, because Ventiko doesn't "want to traumatise him".

Airlines have allowed some passengers with emotional or psychiatric problems to take therapy animals on board with them.

But the number of emotional support animals has been rising in recent years, sparking suggestions that people are abusing the system.

In 2014, a woman was escorted off a US Airways flight when her pig, named Hobie, defecated and squealed before the plane took off.

Ubbquittious · 01-02-2018 05:14PM

You can't bring jack sh1t onto a plane these days. I remember fondly the time when you could walk into the cockpit and show the captain the nice shiny new revolver you were after buying while on holidays and there wasn't a word said about it.

ancapailldorcha · 01-02-2018 05:16PM

At least they didn't assault her.

Grayson · 01-02-2018 05:19PM

Ubbquittious wrote: »

You can't bring jack sh1t onto a plane these days. I remember fondly the time when you could walk into the cockpit and show the captain the nice shiny new revolver you were after buying while on holidays and there wasn't a word said about it.

I watched Die Hard the other night. Bruce Willis is on a plane at the beginning, having a smoke and carrying a gun. It's ok for him to have a gun because he's a cop.

Grayson · 01-02-2018 05:21PM

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

At least they didn't assault her.

I'm sure she would have cried fowl

01-02-2018 05:23PM

I now really want a peacock called Dexter.

GLaDOS · 01-02-2018 05:28PM

Imagine sitting down for a long haul fly and some nutjob lands a fúcking peacock next to you.

Nabber · 01-02-2018 05:28PM

If the person was offended then the law needs to be changed so that person is no longer offended.
If you are offended by said new law, then you are a Nazi.

The Backwards Man · 01-02-2018 05:28PM

I was always of the impression that peacocks couldn't fly.

Scarinae · 01-02-2018 05:29PM

Candie wrote: »

I now really want a peacock called Dexter.

He has an Instagram account - here is a pic of him looking disgruntled in the airport

padd b1975 · 01-02-2018 05:30PM

Dexter will be launching a multi million dollar lawsuit any day now.

DEFTLEFTHAND · 01-02-2018 05:31PM

Fcuk me that's a beautiful looking creature.

Are they prone to aggression though? I remember my Senior Infants teacher getting attacked by one on our school tour to a pet farm.

01-02-2018 05:40PM

Scarinae wrote: »

He has an Instagram account - here is a pic of him looking disgruntled in the airport

That is one photogenic emotional support animal there!

MilesMorales1 · 01-02-2018 05:42PM

I actually think support animals are a great idea (do we have the same thing here?) cos I know animals can be a great emotional support thing and I'm sure anyone with a lovely dog or cat would agree, but a ****ing peacock is the definition of taking the piss.

whisky_galore · 01-02-2018 05:59PM

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Fcuk me that's a beautiful looking creature.

Are they prone to aggression though? I remember my Senior Infants teacher getting attacked by one on our school tour to a pet farm.

They are noisy fcukers as well.

Like swans I think they are overrated.

wexie · 01-02-2018 06:07PM

Surprising actually, given there is precedent for 'emotional support' ducks, turkeys, pigs and bleeding horses (small ones) already....

We live in odd times...

More here

Noveight · 01-02-2018 06:13PM

Therapy dogs I understand but "emotional support animals"?

Catch a hold of yourself!

donegaLroad · 01-02-2018 06:17PM

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Fcuk me that's a beautiful looking creature.

Are they prone to aggression though? I remember my Senior Infants teacher getting attacked by one on our school tour to a pet farm.

I think they are alright, they make a lot of noise when they are conflustered.

suicide_circus · 01-02-2018 06:24PM

What about people on these flights who afraid of these animals?

milehip · 01-02-2018 06:29PM

suicide_circus wrote: »

What about people on these flights who afraid of these animals?

They can ask for emotional support narcotics.

milehip · 01-02-2018 06:29PM

suicide_circus wrote: »

What about people on these flights who afraid of these animals?

They can ask for emotional support narcotics.

DEFTLEFTHAND · 01-02-2018 06:32PM

Think I might get myself a pet duck or maybe a hog. I'll bring them down to the pub with me and they can drink Guinness and eat taytos.

Ave Sodalis · 01-02-2018 06:33PM

MilesMorales1 wrote: »

I actually think support animals are a great idea (do we have the same thing here?)

Yup!

wexie wrote: »

Surprising actually, given there is precedent for 'emotional support' ducks, turkeys, pigs and bleeding horses (small ones) already....

Ponies and horses are actually recognised as emotional support animals and therapy animals. There are several dedicated centres around the country that do some fantastic work. Festina Lente in Wicklow is the biggest, I think.

It's worth looking into. I've heard of a young non-communicative autistic girl who, when left alone with the pony she connected with, started hugging it and humming to it. There's multiple stories of them helping with PTSD, and they're also used in highly troubled areas to reduce crime and gang activity.

wexie · 01-02-2018 06:37PM

Ave Sodalis wrote: »

Ponies and horses are actually recognised as emotional support animals and therapy animals. There are several dedicated centres around the country that do some fantastic work. Festina Lente in Wicklow is the biggest, I think.

It's worth looking into. I've heard of a young non-communicative autistic girl who, when left alone with the pony she connected with, started hugging it and humming to it. There's multiple stories of them helping with PTSD, and they're also used in highly troubled areas to reduce crime and gang activity.

Oh don't get me wrong, I've heard great things about (for example) the effects interaction with horses can have on autistic kids.

It's the bringing them on a plane I find a bit mind boggling. (well, and the turkey)

demanufactured · 01-02-2018 06:41PM

That's it, I'm away to town to buy an emotional support urangutang.

dudara · 01-02-2018 06:45PM

Scarinae wrote: »

He has an Instagram account - here is a pic of him looking disgruntled in the airport

Goddamn - that bird gets out more than I do

Ave Sodalis · 01-02-2018 07:05PM

wexie wrote: »

Oh don't get me wrong, I've heard great things about (for example) the effects interaction with horses can have on autistic kids.

It's the bringing them on a plane I find a bit mind boggling. (well, and the turkey)

They got the clearance to be a service animal a good few years ago. They're used as guide animals for the blind, along with other service animal tasks. Not sure if they're cleared in Ireland for it, but the ADA in America definitely permits ponies as service, guide and emotional support animals.

pjohnson · 01-02-2018 07:09PM

wexie wrote: »

Oh don't get me wrong, I've heard great things about (for example) the effects interaction with horses can have on autistic kids.

It's the bringing them on a plane I find a bit mind boggling. (well, and the turkey)

Turkey could be for the flight meal.

E mac · 01-02-2018 07:12PM

Imagine bringing an emotional support lion on long haul

Scarinae · 01-02-2018 07:29PM

Ave Sodalis wrote: »

Ponies and horses are actually recognised as emotional support animals and therapy animals. There are several dedicated centres around the country that do some fantastic work. Festina Lente in Wicklow is the biggest, I think.

It's worth looking into. I've heard of a young non-communicative autistic girl who, when left alone with the pony she connected with, started hugging it and humming to it. There's multiple stories of them helping with PTSD, and they're also used in highly troubled areas to reduce crime and gang activity.

I didn't realise that Festina Lente did that, I knew they did horseriding lessons but that's fantastic.

Like I was saying in the original post though, I don't think this woman really has the peacock as an emotional support animal - she was just being a chancer, which dilutes the term for people who actually benefit from such animals and it means that the concept could be taken less seriously overall.

freshpopcorn · 01-02-2018 07:48PM

It would just be my luck to get landed next to big cock!

Woman stopped from bringing "emotional support peacock" onto plane

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