Rachel Boerner and her pet pig were kicked off a US Airways flight on Wednesday before Thanksgiving after the “emotional support animal” became “disruptive.”

Rachel Boerner And ESA Pig Kicked Off Flight

The 80-pound, pot bellied pig named Hobey made it through security and was allowed to board the plane with its owner without any problems, as the airline allows customers to bring emotional support animals (ESA) on flights with them if need be. Once the pig got on the plane, fellow passengers became uncomfortable and then quickly frustrated when the pig began walking along the aisle and defecated on the plane.

“We could smell it and it was a pig on a leash. She [Boerner] tethered it to the arm rest next to me and started to deal with her stuff, but the pig was walking back and forth…I was terrified, because I was thinking I’m gonna be on a plane with the pig,” said passenger Jonathan Skolnik.

“I understand dogs and cats on planes. They come in crates, but this was way too big, and it had no container. It looked heavy. It was not a tiny, cute little pig,” said Robert Phelps, a fellow passenger.

The pig reportedly began squealing and making so much noise that the flight crew asked Boerner to exit the aircraft, saying that her pig was “disruptive.”

My Pet Piggy Owner Defends Boerner

While the story has gone viral, Boener has yet to comment on the story, but Victor Kinoian, who owns My Pet Piggy, the animal store that reportedly sold Hobey to Boerner, released a lengthy statement on his Facebook page. According to Kinoian, it was the passengers who upset Hobey and caused him to misbehave.

“She walked Hobey [through] the terminal with ease [and] was welcomed aboard the plane without incident. After passengers became very standoffish towards Hobey, he had an accident, [and] as we all know, accidents do happen,” Kinoian wrote on Monday.

Kinoian claimed that Boerner went through the required channels to ensure her pig would be able to board the aircraft and called on airlines to develop clear criteria for what can be deemed “disruptive” behavior, writing, “There needs to be a clearer definition on what would be considered disruptive & what types & sizes of animals are exactly allowed?”

“American Airlines [owners of US Airways] knew they needed to accommodate my customer, so after calling [and] triple checking for approval to make sure a pig as an ESA was allowed to fly, she received no help from them that day or placed in an appropriate seat to ensure safe travels [and] proper accommodation for her ESA,” Kinoian added.

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.