Southwest Employees Care For Woman’s Pet Fish When She Can’t Take Him On The Plane

For many people, traveling is stressful. There are so many different policies and rules to remember, for those who are unfamiliar with traveling, it can be a little stressful. Air travel, in particular, has a learning curve to it.

For a college freshman named Kira, taking a flight home was her only option. She spent the school year at college in Florida and was finally ready to return home with her newly acquired companion, Theo the fish.

According to a Facebook post by Southwest Airlines, Kira got Theo shortly before summer vacation and he was “very special to her, having provided comfort and companionship as she adjusted to college life.”

She planned on simply having him fly home with her, but when she arrived at the check-in counter at Tampa International Airport, she was horrified to learn that the fish couldn’t board the aircraft!

Southwest has a policy that doesn’t allow fish to fly, but a Southwest customer service agent, Ismael, was there to walk her through her options.

After discussing the possibilities, Kira was still unhappy and that’s when something amazing happened. Ismael offered to take Theo the fish and babysit him all summer! Having no other option, Kira agreed and the two exchanged contact info and Kira handed off the fish to the employee.

Southwest shared about it on Facebook, saying: “Kira stayed in touch with Ismael and his fiancé, a fellow Southwest Employee named Jamee, all summer. The couple regularly sent Kira pictures of Theo, including a brand new fishbowl they bought to make him more comfortable.”

Once summer was over, Kira was able to meet back up with Ismael and Jamee and finally reunite with her beloved Theo.