And this one’s alive and kicking, but just like everybody else, it has to pass through US airport security. And no – this is no joke.
Meet Gareth (not his real name). He’s an emotional support turkey (yep, a real thing).
He keeps his owner – a woman who recently lost her husband – company.
The woman, who shall remain nameless for privacy reasons, even sleeps with the turkey at night.
You could say they are very close indeed.
They are so close, in fact, that Gareth accompanies her on flights, like the one she boarded from San Francisco Airport recently.
This photo of the emotional support turkey (EST) – aka “Gareth” – was taken by KTVU journalist Frank Somerville just last week as Gareth passed through airport security:
Gareth, the emotional support turkey
According to the national aviation authority of the United States, the FAA, emotional support animals may accompany passengers on a flight if they are found to be “medically necessary.”
The animal must hold the proper documentation too, which permits an animal to accompany the passenger in the cabin as a service animal.
But whether or not the other passengers on the plane will be happy sitting next to a gobbling turkey is another thing all together.