Ventiko, a New York City-based performance artist, tried to board a United Airlines flight on Sunday from the Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey with a pet peacock. Dexter, the bird, is an emotional support peacock, she claimed.
Even if Ventiko purchased a separate ticket for the peacock on a trip to Los Angeles, the air carrier did not allow the big bird on board, The Telegraph reported. The incident happened just days after Delta Airlines announced restrictions on ordinary pets being passed off by some passengers as service animals.
48-hour advance notice
Delta required all passengers who would travel with a service animal to provide the company with a 48-hour advance notice beginning March 1. United Airlines apparently has a similar regulation. A spokesman of the air carrier said it is aware that some customers need an…show more content… The spokesman also said that the peacock did not meet the guidelines, including weight and size, Mashable reported.
Ventiko was told in advance that Dexter would not be allowed. It was explained to her on three separate occasions before the pair arrived at the airport. She originally bought the peacock for an art installation but kept him. The two live in her loft in New York City where she was previously photographed taking Dexter for a walk.
Following the denial of entry to Dexter, Ventiko posted on her Instagram account that she will be driven by her human friends with Dexter cross country. She said that the peacock, who disarms anybody he meets, really changed her life in a positive way.
Newsweek reported that Ventiko and Dexter have reached Oklahoma and gained 4,000 Instagram followers.
