Rebecca Helm called their father, and he began driving back to the airport. She asked an AirTran employee to make arrangements with her father to look after the pet until he could get there, but the employee refused.
This is the part that bothers me the most on the part of the oldest sister. I completely understand why the employee refused to find someone to look after the turtle...why waste someone's time and take them away from their job to look after a pet? Does this girl also expect someone who works for Target (for example), to look after her dog if an employee tells her that dogs aren't allowed in the store (the only exception being trained service dogs of course)?
If they were THAT concerned about the pet, the oldest should have said, "Okay, let's get off the plane, wait for Dad and take the later flight. We can call Mom and explain."
And PETA? Really? These girls didn't HAVE to throw the turtle in the trash. They were given the option to be on a later flight (at no charge)...so because of your daughter's decision to break airline policy and, at the same time, not use their common sense, you're going to get PETA on their case?
I guess it's true...common sense has died a horrible, painful death and no one seems to care.