JetBlue Passenger Claims Her Cancer Returned After Argument with Flight Attendant Over Emotional Support Bulldog

A California couple is suing the airline for “great mental, physical and nervous pain” after their dog wasn’t allowed to sit with them in first class


Stock image of a JetBlue plane. PHOTO: ROBERT NICKELSBERG/GETTY IMAGES

¹A California couple is suing JetBlue after they say their “emotional support” bulldog wasn’t allowed to sit in first class with them 
Among “great mental, physical and nervous pain and suffering.” the plaintiffs claim that the incident caused the wife’s cancer, which had been in remission, to return
JetBlue tells PEOPLE that they follow the Department of Transportation’s rules, which “require airlines to treat emotional support animals as pets rather than service animals”

A California couple is suing JetBlue, claiming the wife’s stage 4 cancer — which she said had been in remission — returned after flight attendants wouldn’t let her emotional support bulldog sit in first class with them on a plane.

According to documents filed in California, Oksana and Peter Kiritchenko said their “emotional support animal, a French Bulldog named Pier, weighing 23 lbs.,” was allowed to fly from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale on September 2 “without incident.”

However, on their return flight on September 13, the suit claims they were “initially questioned on whether they could be allowed to bring their dog with them.”


Stock image of Fort Lauderdale’s JetBlue section. JOE RAEDLE/GETTY 
The suit alleges that “the preboarding agent for JetBlue kept Plaintiffs standing at the kiosk for a very long time, without addressing their dog-related request, and not letting them to sit down to wait that time without standing.”

Peter Kiritchenko, who was 71 at the time, claims to have a “severe disability affecting his ability to stand; he has several staple implants in his spine.”

“Plaintiffs were offering the JetBlue agent the documents reflecting their disability, but their requests were ignored. JetBlue agents did not offer them a wheelchair, and the plaintiffs were afraid to step aside without an acknowledged arrangement that they will be called back for the dog-related inquiry, in a fear that they will lose their spot in the queue.”

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The plaintiffs claim that they were allowed to board — as long as one of them sat in economy with the dog.

Once on the plane, they alleged that “a JetBlue flight assistant came up to Mrs. Kiritchenko and demanded that the dog be relocated to a much smaller bag that the assistant brought with her.”


Stock image of a JetBlue plane taking off. JOE RAEDLE/GETTY

The suit continues: “The assistant issued an ultimatum that either the dog be placed into the provided bag, or the plaintiffs shall leave the plane. As the dog was unable to fit, the plane was ordered to return to the airport building and the plaintiffs were ousted from the plane.”

The suit alleges that their encounter at the airport left plaintiffs Oksana and Peter Kiritchenko “gravely hurt and injured in their health, strength, and activity, sustaining injury to their immune and nervous systems” and the incident “caused, and continue to cause Plaintiffs great mental, physical and nervous pain and suffering.” 

The suit goes on to allege “emotional distress, including but not limited to stress, anxiety, loss of sleep, loss of appetite, depression, annoyance, embarrassment, and humiliation.”

Furthermore, “Mrs. Kiritchenko, although a Stage-4 cancer patient, had been in remission prior to the events described hereinabove. Those events caused Mrs. Kiritchenko an extreme amount of stress. Upon arrival home, she checked in to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center hospital in Los Angeles. The test results had shown the mean tumor molecules levers (“MTM/ml”) had risen to 0.59.”

The suit notes that “Prior to the flight, Plaintiffs had purchased and already successfully used for the air travel, a bag to transport Pier, and had submitted the ‘U.S.Department of Transportation Service Animal Air Transportation Form’ to JetBlue about Pier, listing his veterinarian, trainer, and vaccination information.”

In a comment to PEOPLE, a JetBlue spokesperson said, “JetBlue announced compliance with the Department of Transportation (DOT) rules that no longer recognize emotional support animals as service animals. These rules require airlines to treat emotional support animals as pets rather than service animals. Customers wishing to travel with emotional support animals must follow the airline’s pet policies, which include paying a pet fee and ensuring the animal is in an approved pet carrier. JetBlue is committed to supporting customers who need to travel with trained service animals while ensuring the safety and comfort of all passengers.”

Source: https://people.com/jetblue-passenger-claims-her-cancer-returned-after-argument-with-flight-attendant-over-emotional-support-bulldog-8685910