76-Year-Old Woman Says She’s Stranded in Puerto Rico After Airline Denied Her Emotional Support Parrot Onboard: ‘A Nightmare’

• Maria Fraterrigo, 76, is stuck in Puerto Rico after she was not allowed on a Frontier Airlines flight back to New York City with her emotional support parrot Plucky
• She said that Frontier Airlines did allow her to travel to Puerto Rico with her pet, but the flight staff said it was an error
• Her son Robert Fraterrigo is attempting to find a new way to get her safely to him in Florida

An 76-year-old New York City woman says she is stuck in Puerto Rico after an error was made when transporting her emotional support parrot onboard a flight.

Maria Fraterrigo hopped on a Frontier Airlines flight at John F. Kennedy International Airport with her pet bird Plucky in a TSA-approved carrier without incident. However, her trip hit a snag when she tried to get on her return flight with the animal on April 5, according to WABC-TV, WCBS-TV and CBS News.

The woman claimed, per WCBS-TV, that she was told by the Frontier Airlines flight staff in Puerto Rico: “‘No, no, no, that was a mistake at JFK. If you want to get on the flight, get rid of the bird.’ ” She added, “Imagine that!”

“I have been traumatized. It’s like I am abandoned,” Maria continued, per the outlet. “My medicine is home, doctor’s appointment. Everything is just a nightmare.”

Frontier Airlines did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

The airline issued a statement to WCBS-TV saying that it was investigating the matter and looking into ways to resolve the issue.

Maria’s son, Robert Fraterrigo, said he has been trying to work with the airline to find a solution since the bird was very important to his mother. He noted that the animal “gave her so much comfort” after his father’s death, as the pair had often traveled with Plucky.

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However, the airline told him that a mistake was made by the staff at JFK and that large birds like parrots were not allowed onboard. He said that his mom had a letter from the vet saying that Plucky was “an emotional support animal,” and the flight staff accepted the letter and “there was never a question as to what type of bird my mother was bringing.”

According to Frontier Airlines’ website, only “small household birds” are allowed onboard and only on domestic flights. The airline also noted that “large birds,” including “parrots, macaws, cockatoos, birds of prey” are “never accepted” onboard.

Maria was refunded about $190 for the ticket and issued a $250 voucher. However, Robert told WABC-TV and WCBS-TV that his mother was still stuck in Puerto Rico with no way home.

“This is an island. This is not where my mom can jump in a car, or I can jump in a car and go get her,” he told WCBS-TV.

He told WABC-TV that he has reached out to  smaller airlines to see if his mom could get on a private charter to get her to Tampa, Fla. where he currently lives, but hasn’t had any luck so far. He told the outlet: “My mother did nothing wrong and she just needs to be taken care of and sent home, she didn’t want anything else but to go home and no one wants to help.”

As for Maria, she told the outlets that she refused to leave Plucky behind, and all she wanted was to return back to New York City with her parrot. She told, WCBS-TV, “… I want to go home. That’s all I want. I want to go home.”