Airline workers' incredible act for student forced to leave pet behind
Big-hearted airline workers who babysat a student's pet fish when it was banned from a flight in Florida have become heroes on social media.
Kira Rumfola, a Southwest Airlines passenger, was told she would have to leave her pet fish behind and fly home alone after her first year in university by a customer service agent named Ismael, who she subsequently dubbed the “airport fish taker”.
Kira and her fish, whose name is Theo, were reunited four months later after Ismael and his fiancée Jamee, a fellow Southwest airlines worker, offered to take care of him and meet up after her return to college in the city of Tampa, according to local media reports.
The emotive moment was captured in a series of photos including a smiling Kira, Theo the fish, Ismael and Jamee in a Southwest Airlines Facebook post.
“As Kira checked in at Tampa International Airport, she learned she couldn’t bring her beloved fish, Theo, onto the plane,” the airline wrote.
“As a recent addition to Kira’s life, Theo is very special to her, having provided comfort and companionship as she adjusted to college life.”
The airline went on to explain that after talking through the options, Kira and Ismael exchanged contact information and agreed to stay in touch over the summer while the customer services agent took care of her pet fish.
Ismael, who is listed as the “airport fish taker” on Kira’s phone, even bought Theo a new fishbowl to make him more comfortable, according to the post.
“That definitely shows going over and above. There is still kindness in our world!” one person commented on the post.
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“Theo died. This is Theo II. I work at the fish store and I specifically remember matching up Theo with Theo II. I got a bag of peanuts and a $5 flight credit,” another joked.
This news comes after a chaotic summer involving numerous flight cancellations and lost pets across the country, including an incident involving an Air Canada passenger’s cats who were sent from Toronto to San Francisco without their owner in July, according to local media reports.
Newsflash/Australscope
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