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Emotional support animals are companions that a medical professional has prescribed as helpful to someone with a disability. These animals are usually dogs, and can fly aboard planes with their humans. But this woman had different ideas, and brought along her emotional support peacock for her flight to L.A. from Newark Airport.
Needless to say, it didn’t go well. Despite being warned three times that Dexter the peacock would not be allowed to travel with her, conceptual artist Ventiko showed up at the airport anyway. Dexter was promptly turned away by United Airlines, but not before creating a spectacle in the airport and igniting a fierce debate about the merits of emotional support animals and people’s perceived abuse of the system that allows them to travel.
Since he couldn’t get on his flight, Dexter shot out a message on his Instagram outlining the next step. “Spent 6 hours trying to get on my flight to LA. Tomorrow my human friends are going to drive me cross country! Keep an eye out for us!”
Since he was purchased by Ventiko for an art installation some time ago, Dexter has bonded with the artist. He is now a regular part of her art, and we are sure you will see more of the pair in times to come. If nothing else, this airport saga has certainly provided great publicity for them.
Scroll down below to see how the story unfolded below, and let us know what you think in the comments. Should United have let Dexter fly? Or is this an abuse of the emotional support animal premise? We look forward to your opinions!
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This is Dexter the emotional support peacock, trying to board a flight from Newark to L.A.
Image credits: thejetsettv
He was denied a seat on the flight, even after his owner, conceptual artist Ventiko, offered to pay for his seat
Image credits: Dexter The Peacock
Emotional support animals are usually dogs, sometimes cats. So it was a surprise to see a peacock at the airport
Image credits: thejetsettv
And it sparked quite a debate among the readers of this story
Others didn’t think it was such a good idea
This event also helped to uncover one of the most awesome Instagram accounts out there
Image credits: Dexter The Peacock
Based in Brooklyn, Dexter and Ventiko like to go on walks together through New York
Image credits: Dexter The Peacock
Their story started when Ventiko purchased Dexter for an art installation
Image credits: Dexter The Peacock
And she found a home for him afterward
Image credits: Dexter The Peacock
But knowing that Dexter was living all alone there, she had to take him with her
Image credits: Dexter The Peacock
And they bonded immediately
Image credits: Dexter The Peacock
Now they’ve been together ever since and he works with her on her art projects
Image credits: Dexter The Peacock
And if you’re still wondering how they’ll get to LA, Ventiko said they’ll go on an epic drive across the country
Image credits: Dexter The Peacock
Watch the video below:
Click to unmute
What do you think ?
Lara B. 7 years ago
I am sorry to be a bit harsh here. I do understand the whole concept of emotional support animals. But for christ sake, she bought him for an art installation and all of a sudden he is her support animal? I would be rather upset if I had to sit next to a peacock on a plane. Don't get me wrong, I love all sorts of animals, but this goes too far.
Kenny Kulbiski 7 years ago
Agreed. It's nothing more than a selfish publicity stunt with no thought about the welfare of the peacock.
Load More Replies...
Alec 7 years ago
Well, the way I see it she probably got her wish. This was never about an emotional support animal. It was about a so-called-artist's desperate ploy to go viral by causing a scene that would draw attention to her instagram. Do I think there are people who need an emotional support animal? Yes, and they should be accommodated, but people like this woman who abuse the system to promote herself are ruining things for everyone else.
Carmen Devore-Blakestad 7 years ago
He's her pet, nothing more. She's just trying to game the system. The last tweet in the article says it best. This woman needs to grow up and live in the real world.
Fay 7 years ago
My daughter has severe anxiety and depression. Her PTSD/anxiety dog is highly trained to help her throughout the day. He alerts her before she has a panic attack, helps calm her by refocusing her attention, finds exits if she needs to get out of a location quickly, provides compression therapy when needed, and even wakes her up at night if she starts to have a nightmare. If your anxiety is bad enough to warrant the need of an emotional support animal, you can get a fully trained medical service dog to help. It will do so much more for you than just be a cute thing to pet. This woman really upsets me. This was nothing more than a publicity stunt. Her actions make it that much harder for people with legitimate needs to be taken seriously.
Agnes Jekyll 7 years ago
Wow. Thank you for educating me about all the things your daughter's support dog does--that's amazing that he alerts her before the attack. What an incredibly animal. I'm glad your daughter has him--amazing
Load More Replies...
Nomadus Aureus 7 years ago
Yeah, it would be great if people could stop sneaking in their pets to places they aren't allowed to be at and use a genuine medical problem as a pretext to do it. Makes people who really suffer from an anxiety disorder look like idiots. Plus you are disrespecting the hundreds of hours of hard work and continuous examination of genuinely trained support dogs. Mine is a highly trained USAR dog. I also happen to suffer from PTSD and have had 16 panic attacks in less than 2 weeks. My dog knows me better than any human and has trained himself to recognise an impending attack and stop it. Have I ever pretended he was an emotional support dog? NO. He isn't trained for it, he hasn't had his exams, I have no business pretending otherwise.
李米娜 (Mina) 7 years ago
Definitely absurd. I really dont mind dogs as support animals, I think dogs are the most reliably trained and acceptable to go on flights for disabilities or medical reasons, but a peacock is ridiculous. This is not a professional trained animal, domesticated for thousands of years as pets across the globe, this is an artists pet. And whose idea was it to dub all these creatures as emotionally supportive just to get them on a plane? Too far.
Peter Nenov 7 years ago
Wow. Annoying drama queen as$@hole. Stop tolerating AS$%#LES, America!!
Michelle Watler 7 years ago
Just because you have a connection with an animal or bird does not make it an "emotional support" animal. let's get real...
Lara B. 7 years ago
I am sorry to be a bit harsh here. I do understand the whole concept of emotional support animals. But for christ sake, she bought him for an art installation and all of a sudden he is her support animal? I would be rather upset if I had to sit next to a peacock on a plane. Don't get me wrong, I love all sorts of animals, but this goes too far.
Kenny Kulbiski 7 years ago
Agreed. It's nothing more than a selfish publicity stunt with no thought about the welfare of the peacock.
Load More Replies... Alec 7 years ago
Well, the way I see it she probably got her wish. This was never about an emotional support animal. It was about a so-called-artist's desperate ploy to go viral by causing a scene that would draw attention to her instagram. Do I think there are people who need an emotional support animal? Yes, and they should be accommodated, but people like this woman who abuse the system to promote herself are ruining things for everyone else.
Carmen Devore-Blakestad 7 years ago
He's her pet, nothing more. She's just trying to game the system. The last tweet in the article says it best. This woman needs to grow up and live in the real world.
Fay 7 years ago
My daughter has severe anxiety and depression. Her PTSD/anxiety dog is highly trained to help her throughout the day. He alerts her before she has a panic attack, helps calm her by refocusing her attention, finds exits if she needs to get out of a location quickly, provides compression therapy when needed, and even wakes her up at night if she starts to have a nightmare. If your anxiety is bad enough to warrant the need of an emotional support animal, you can get a fully trained medical service dog to help. It will do so much more for you than just be a cute thing to pet. This woman really upsets me. This was nothing more than a publicity stunt. Her actions make it that much harder for people with legitimate needs to be taken seriously.
Agnes Jekyll 7 years ago
Wow. Thank you for educating me about all the things your daughter's support dog does--that's amazing that he alerts her before the attack. What an incredibly animal. I'm glad your daughter has him--amazing
Load More Replies... Nomadus Aureus 7 years ago
Yeah, it would be great if people could stop sneaking in their pets to places they aren't allowed to be at and use a genuine medical problem as a pretext to do it. Makes people who really suffer from an anxiety disorder look like idiots. Plus you are disrespecting the hundreds of hours of hard work and continuous examination of genuinely trained support dogs. Mine is a highly trained USAR dog. I also happen to suffer from PTSD and have had 16 panic attacks in less than 2 weeks. My dog knows me better than any human and has trained himself to recognise an impending attack and stop it. Have I ever pretended he was an emotional support dog? NO. He isn't trained for it, he hasn't had his exams, I have no business pretending otherwise.
李米娜 (Mina) 7 years ago
Definitely absurd. I really dont mind dogs as support animals, I think dogs are the most reliably trained and acceptable to go on flights for disabilities or medical reasons, but a peacock is ridiculous. This is not a professional trained animal, domesticated for thousands of years as pets across the globe, this is an artists pet. And whose idea was it to dub all these creatures as emotionally supportive just to get them on a plane? Too far.
Peter Nenov 7 years ago
Wow. Annoying drama queen as$@hole. Stop tolerating AS$%#LES, America!!
Michelle Watler 7 years ago
Just because you have a connection with an animal or bird does not make it an "emotional support" animal. let's get real...
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