Pet or emotional support animal?
By Fleur
@Fleura (34951)
United Kingdom
September 23, 2022 4:49am CST
It has long been known that taking care of an animal can be a great way to improve your mental health. Having an animal that depends on you and loves you unconditionally gives a person a reason to get out of bed in the morning, motivates them to keep going and generally helps them deal with life’s ups and downs.
An emotional support animal is a pet that provides emotional support – so pretty much any pet really, it would seem. Anyone who has felt relaxed when stroking their cat or watching fish swim or talking to their parrot or taking their horse for a walk or snuggling up with their snake has been receiving emotional support.
These animals do not need any specific task-training like a service/assistance animal because their very presence alleviates the symptoms associated with a personal psychological or emotional disability.
So when is a pet an emotional support animal, and perhaps more difficult to define, when is it not? Is every pet an emotional support animal?
And if so, should we all be allowed to take our pets with us wherever we go?
Earlier I was watching this clip about a man with an emotional support alligator
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGJLRkZzKbM&t=21s
All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2022.
16 people like this
15 responses
@rebelann (117211)
• El Paso, Texas
23 Sep 22
Although I do believe our pets help our moods and give us companionship I too agree that people have taken this whole thing way too far. Some animals, like aligators and snakes, really don't strike me as being safe enough to be allowed in the public arena, I just don't trust reptiles for the most part and some pets that I would love to have are just too big to be taken on board planes or boats. I live alone and would be very depressed without my pets and although I would love to take Roscoe everywhere with me the fact is that training a large dog to behave well enough in the public arena takes time plus the owner of any pet would have to make sure their pet is clean enough so as not to set off any allergies in sensitive people.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (34951)
• United Kingdom
23 Sep 22
As you say, although many of us would love to take our companion animals out and about with us it just isn't practical, and sometimes clashes with other people's needs in public places. It's hard to house-train a chicken, difficult to negotiate the aisles of a supermarket with a horse, and what happens if someone has an allergy or gets a panic attack in the presence of a dog or snake for example?
1 person likes this
@rebelann (117211)
• El Paso, Texas
23 Sep 22
I agree with all but one aspect @Fleura when it comes to dogs it's my opinion that anyone who is taking their dog into the public should have a harness on them so that people will know to steer clear, here at least therapy dogs must wear harnesses that show they are therapy dogs and people seem to know to stay back for the safety of the owner of the dog.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169448)
• United States
24 Sep 22
I think there needs to be a line, but I amnot sure where to draw it.
1 person likes this
@HomewardBound (552)
•
24 Sep 22
I think pets are great, have been the caretaker of many cats and dogs in my life, mostly for my kids, grandkids and now great grandkids. If I sound a little burned out, that’s because I am. But I draw the line at snakes or any other reptile!
1 person likes this
And petting them will be a great joy for me
@allknowing (153544)
• India
24 Sep 22
Dogs are faithful but not cats. And yet cats are kept as pets.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (17239)
• China
23 Sep 22
Not everyone takes pet as emotional support animal.My son feeds a dog just because he has been fond of dogs since he was young.Undeniably,some lonely old people see pets as emotional support -even to the point where they depend on each other for survival.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502235)
• Italy
23 Sep 22
Surely pet are an emotional support for many, a burden for others who did not intend to have animals and had to take care of animals left behind by their deceased relatives. I would not like to be obliged to leave my cat home alone should I be away a few days, I would like to bring him with me at the hotel. I would never bring my cat with me to go grocery shopping or to see my doctor. People should just try to use their brain always.
1 person likes this
@Ronrybs (21503)
• London, England
23 Sep 22
I do like cats and have one at the moment, Gaia, who lives indoors most of the time, but is a rescue cat who was living rough for while. Then there is Mr H and the rest of the garden gang. Not sure who is the pet and who is the emotional support!
1 person likes this
@porwest (112802)
• United States
23 Sep 22
I think we have gotten to a bad place in this regard. I think having pets is wonderful and comforting. But if a person needs "support," it is a sign of a deeper issue that I think should be resolved in ways that help rather than enable the disfunction.
1 person likes this
@yoalldudes (35030)
• Philippines
23 Sep 22
I have experienced this emotional support with certain puppies that are very sweet and caring. Even if I am alone at home I feel the security and companionship or my guard dog.
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203396)
• Nashville, Tennessee
23 Sep 22
Totally agree with you and those that do not have never been close to their pets. My two cats have helped get me through many things. I had a dog years ago that did the same. I never took them anywhere public but they helped me on long trips and especially at home, mentally. A stuffed animal cannot do that for me.
1 person likes this
@everwonderwhy (7355)
•
23 Sep 22
I think both. Mostly, as pets to take care of.
1 person likes this
