ORLANDO, Fla. – A Frontier Airlines flight out of Orlando International Airport to Cleveland was delayed Tuesday night after a woman boarded a plane with a squirrel, named Daisy, she says is her emotional support animal.
Cindy Torok, of Lakeland, noted in her reservation that she was bringing an emotional support animal, but she did not indicate it was a squirrel, according to the airline.
"Rodents, including squirrels, are not allowed on Frontier flights. The passenger was advised of the policy and asked to deplane," Frontier Airlines said in a statement to News 6.
The airline said Torok refused to get off the flight, so airline workers called Orlando police.
This is Daisy - the now infamous emotional support squirrel that got kicked off a @FlyFrontier flight out of @MCO airport yesterday. More from her family tonight on @news6wkmg pic.twitter.com/MOfbilUtyC
— Clay LePard (@ClayLePard) October 10, 2018
Officers had all passengers get off the plane so they could "deal with the passenger," the airlines said.
Orlando police said they escorted Torok off the plane and took her to the main terminal.
A spokesperson for OPD said the woman cooperated when police arrived and no arrest was made.
Here's the full Frontier Airlines statement:
“On flight 1612 from Orlando to Cleveland this evening, a passenger boarded the aircraft with a squirrel saying it was an emotional support animal. The passenger noted in their reservation that they were bringing an emotional support animal but it was not indicated that it was a squirrel. Rodents, including squirrels, are not allowed on Frontier flights. The passenger was advised of the policy and asked to deplane. When she refused to deplane Orlando Police were called and requested that everyone be deplaned so they could deal with the passenger. Police eventually escorted the passenger off the aircraft and took her to the main terminal.”
Daisy, the emotional support squirrel, is now staying with Torok's husband Michael, and their daughter, Monica, at their home in Lakeland.
"It was just heartbreaking to me," Monica Torok said. "They were wrong for the way they treated my mom."
Monica Torok told News 6 she called Frontier Airlines twice to confirm that the squirrel was allowed on the flight, and was told it would be allowed as long as the squirrel stayed in its pet carrier and she had the appropriate note from her mother's doctor.
Here is the doctor's note meant to help allow Daisy the squirrel to fly on an Orlando-Cleveland @FlyFrontier flight Tuesday night. pic.twitter.com/8UMf0RNUTl
— Clay LePard (@ClayLePardNews6) October 10, 2018
"I'm upset and angry the way it had to happen," Torok said. "I'm proud of my mom for sticking up for her rights."
The family said it plans on looking into several different options going forward.
"We're going to call the ADA (American with Disabilities Act) and talk to them and see what they have to say about it," she said. "We got to fight for your rights. You can't let people take your rights away."
After a sleepless night, Cindy Torok was able to catch a flight to Cleveland the next morning, without Daisy the squirrel.