Woman traveling with service dog turned away from Allegiant flight
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Spikey is more than just a pet to Stacy Christopoulos.
"I take him everywhere with me. I take him shopping with me, he is always in my arms. He's like my little baby, he truly he is," she told FOX 13 News.
He is also her emotional support animal - and the reason she was turned away from boarding an Allegiant Air flight at the St. Pete-Clearwater airport last week.
"The lady asked for my documents and I showed her the documents that I always do carry and she said 'These are not the correct documents,'" Christopoulos said.
She and Spikey are frequent flyers, so she was shocked when gate agents said her letter from her doctor and veterinarian did not meet requirements to bring Spikey.
"I did not get on a plane and it's the first time in many years, with documents, that we did not get on," she said.
Stacy Christopoulos and Spikey
The ruckus caught the attention of another passenger, Morgan & Morgan Attorney Herb Hoffman, who rushed to Christopoulos' defense.
"I kept asking him for something and then I finally hear him blurt out, 'You're a threat to our safety.' Oh, because I'm trying to not let you trample on the rights of someone else with an emotional support dog," Hoffman said.
With an increase of emotional support animals flying with their handlers, airport personnel says to eff on the side of caution.
"This is one of those cases where you want to check with your airline every time you travel because that policy may have been updated by the airline and it varies between air carriers," Tampa International Airport Spokesperson Christine Osborn said.
Christopoulos says the airline wanted her to have Allegiant-provided paperwork. The travel nightmare has left her with a warning for others:
"Call the 800, 888 number, whatever it is, and ask them what documentation you need for whatever animal your traveling with because it was highly upsetting," Christopoulos said.
Allegiant told FOX 13 Christopoulos was not permitted to board with Spike because she didn’t have the correct paperwork, however, Hoffman says he is looking into the incident.