(RNN) – A woman tried to board a United Airlines flight over the weekend with a peacock, claiming the bird was her emotional support animal.
The performance artist and photographer called Ventiko told ticket agents at Newark Liberty International Airport that she had purchased a second ticket for “Dexter,” but that didn’t fly with the airline, according to the Associated Press.
"This animal did not meet guidelines for a number of reasons, including its weight and size. We explained this to the customers on three separate occasions before they arrived at the airport," said United in a statement to Fox News.
The syndicated television show “The Jet Set” posted photos and video of the peacock’s arrival to the airport on their Facebook page.
Peacocks, which are the male version of peafowl, can grow up to 5 feet long and weigh between 8 to 13 lbs. They are more colorful than their female counterparts, called peahens.
The birds can also have a nasty temperament - not an animal you’d want to get trapped in an enclosed space with its beak and talons.
Earlier in January, Delta Airlines put restrictions on emotional support animals after many people attempted to push the boundaries of the federal law allowing service dogs – which includes emotional support animals.
The airline said people tried to claim snakes, spiders, possums, turkeys and many other types of critters as emotional support animals.
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