What on EARTH? AIBU?

[MissionItsPossible]

metro.co.uk/2018/02/08/woman-told-cant-take-emotional-support-hamster-flight-flushes-toilet-7296709/#mv-b

Woman told she couldn't take her hamster on a flight with her so flushes it down the loo.

First of all, apart from guide dogs I didn't think pets were allowed on planes (I'm guessing she wanted the hamster with her on flight as she calls it her "emotional support")

Second of all, if she was that attached to it why on earth did she FLUSH IT DOWN A TOILET? I could never do that to a pet I claimed I loved. That is just plain nasty. I think we're meant to feel sorry for her from the tone of the article but I think she has acted very cruelly.

I flew with my cat. I had to get him chipped, a passport (without photo!) and pay €50 to have him under the seat in front.

I hate to sound like Little Lord Trumpykins but this sounds like "fake news" to me.

Has to be a fake. Big airports have animal handlers, FFS, if this happened I strongly suspect the passenger would have been referred to them and they could have passed the hamster on to the RSPCA or similar.

PETA are equally blaming the Airline, they say that they could have found a solution, even by asking people leaving the Airport.

The Airline has admitted that they wrongly told her that the Hamster could fly. The bus would have taken three days and she had a medical appointment.

She has obviously made the wrong decision but I wonder how she has been handled at the Airport, did she just panic etc. Having seen how some people in authority in the US treat people, I could believe that she was told to flush it. The Airline admit that she was told to release it, which would have killed it, anyway.

This is sickening.
Her only option?

Poor hammy 🐹

Well...That's aweful.

I hope this is fake.

If not? She's either a vile and cruel human being. Or has some serious mental health issues that prevented her from thinking clearly:

"I need this animal. But I can't take it. But I can't leave it. So I obviously have to kill it quickly. Oh no, I love hamsty, I can't just snap its neck (not saying that this is what she should have done, btw). Oh, I'm on a toilet. Let's just flush hamsty. Killing it is more humane than leaving it on an air port. Right?"

Or maybe she had some sort of episode and thought she'd be caught / prosecuted simply for having "forbidden animal"?

But Idk how likely that is.

It's imo more likely that she simply couldn't be bothered. Just like the people that abandon animals on the highway etc...

The Airline admit that she was told to release it, which would have killed it, anyway.

That's spectacularly cruel / irresponsible as well.

I could see a person with certain mental health issues panicking in a situation like this....

Poor hamster :( !!

Birdsgottafly But if she needed it to fly why did she kill it and was then still able to fly (assuming this is true)?