What is your opinion about the turtle story on the Yahoo! front page?

About five years ago it was 'stylish' to have these tiny turtles for pets and petstores were shipping them in any way possible. They were infested with disease of all sorts, were not going through any particular screening process, nor taken care of during travel. Several of the animals were even thrown away before the live ones were delivered to the stores where they were sold.

Keeping that in mind do you really want to be on a flight where there is only filtered air with an animal no matter how big or small that has not been tested or checked for disease? The turtles don't just carry salmonella but any number of other pathogens. Personally I think it could have been explained to the girls better. I think that the animal shouldn't have even made it as far as it did (obviously some compassionate attendant figured to let them on and not report it) and had I been on the flight I would have been relieved that my airline is willing to do their jobs accordingly.

Crazy though the regulations may seem rules are rules and I really can't fault the airline for enforcing them.

What I do find horrible is that these girls threw the turtle in the trash. They had called their father and he was on the way back to the airport. They were twice offered a later flight and declined. Their 22 year old sister, an adult, was with them. They were perfectly safe and supervised and there was no reason they could not have waited at the airport for their father. Instead they chose to throw a living creature in the trash.

Thank goodness a caring person took the turtle out of the trash and gave it to another crew member who took it home for her son. These girls did not deserve to get the turtle back.

I think it is ridiculous! I understand they have rules and all that but come on. Its a freaking 10" turtle. The little girl had it as a pet so i really doubt it had salmonella. I feel bad for that little girl and think the employees that were so mean need an a** whooping.