San Juan (Puerto Rico) - 76-year-old Maria Fraterrigo from New York flew on vacation to the island of Puerto Rico - with her parrot Plucky, who has given her emotional support since the death of her husband. Although there was no problem getting to the island with the animal, the airline later refused to take Plucky back.

On Saturday, the 76-year-old wanted to take her return flight from San Juan with Frontier Airlines. She had her parrot with her in a cage approved by the airline, as reported by CBS.

Employees at the gate suddenly told her that they had probably made a mistake on the outbound flight.

"No, no, that was their mistake, not ours. If you want to fly with us, get rid of the bird," they are said to have told her.

When her son Robert Fraterrigo booked the flight, there was initially no problem traveling with the grey parrot.

A doctor's letter certified that Plucky was an emotional support animal. Frontier Airlines accepted this and did not ask aboutthe type of animal .

"I just want to go home. That's it. With my bird," said the 76-year-old. She also has medicine at home that she needs, and she has to go to a doctor's appointment.

Son Robert doesn't know what to do either. "This is an island. My mother can't just jump in the car - and neither can I to pick her up," he said.

Of course, leaving the bird behind is not an option for the woman. Since her husband's death, he has been a constant source of comfort to her. They often used to travel together with Plucky.