Family Kicked off Flight Because of Daughter's Seizure-Sensing Service Dog

A Florida family’s vacation took a horrible turn after they were kicked off their Allegiant Airlines flight because of their service dog. Sherry and Jerry Cordero Bradenton travelled to Colorado with their daughter Gianna and her service dog Brigette. Gianna has cerebral palsy and Brigette calms her down and alerts others if Gianna is about to have a seizure. 

“She lets us know if she’s going to have a seizure,” Jerry Cordero explained to reporter Erik Waxler of Tampa Bay 29. “So, we can get her to safety so she won’t fall.”

The Cordero family flew to Colorado with no issues. But on Sept. 26, on their way back, a flight attendant confronted them about the dog. Apparently Brigette had been registered as a regular pet, not a service animal. The Cordero family told Tampa Bay 29 that they adhered to the airlines rules, placing the dog in a carrier. While settling into their seats, though, Brigette was temporarily on Gianna’s lap — which is when the flight attendant confronted them. 

“The flight attendant walked by and goes, ‘she doesn’t belong in your lap. She’s gotta go underneath you know.’ I said, ‘yes, we know that.’ But we are still trying to get in our seats. We are still trying to get situated, set our daughter down so she doesn’t fall,” Sherry Cordero said.

Stephanie Garibay, a spokesperson from Allegiant told Tampa Bay 29 that the Corderos were removed from the flight for failing to comply with the airline’s pet-in-cabin instructions.

“While at the airport terminal and onboard the aircraft, pets must remain entirely in the carrier and only be handled by the traveler,” explained the Garibay over email. “The pet may be denied boarding for future flights if a passenger does not comply.”

But the Corderos maintain that Brigette was in the carrier. The family was barely given any time to adjust the dog’s position before they were told to leave the aircraft. 

“That was it. The end. We were shocked because we said we didn’t do anything,” Cordero said.

Because of the confrontation, the family was stranded in Colorado for three extra nights. They had to find a hotel and restock on basic items, including medical necessities and pet care products. They filed a complaint with Allegiant and the airline rebooked them on a new flight for Sept. 29. This time, they were able to fly without any problems. And this time, they listed their pet as a service animal instead of a pet-in-cabin, which is the mistake Garibay says they made the first time. 

It’s not just Allegiant’s policy to notify the airline about service animals, but a federal regulation. Proper documentation must also be submitted. If a pet is not a service animal, it must be in a carrier and stowed under the seat in front of the traveler for the entire duration of the flight. However, nothing about Allegiant’s policy or the federal law states that pet carriers can’t be in someone’s lap for a few moments during boarding as the passengers put the rest of their luggage away.

The Corderos don’t get to travel a lot and this trip to visit elderly relatives was supposed to be special. But the experience has left the family shaken and they want others to be prepared for similar experiences.

“What they did was horrific to us,” said Sherry Cordero. “It’s hard enough what we go through.”