Emotional support animals – also known as ESAs – are becoming fairly common. This is because most people feel comforted by having their pet nearby. People diagnosed with certain mental health conditions can benefit even more by having a near and dear animal on hand.
Of course, every person has a different idea of what a pet, or even an ESA, can be. Due to this, some people have been relying on some rather unusual species for some emotional support. Needless to say, this has resulted in some rather unusual stories of various individuals and their accompanying ESAs.
Now, as usserviceanimals.org explains it, emotional support animals are quite different from service animals. For one thing, ESAs don’t need to be trained. For another, unlike service animals, ESAs can technically be any animal.
So, on this note, let’s take a look at some of the wilder species that have worked as emotional support animals.
Kangaroos
Yes! People actually have baby and adult kangaroos as ESAs. As you can imagine, though, this isn’t all that common. Some kangaroos can be rather friendly. And, they are certainly cuddly and cute to look at. Of course, as kangaroos get bigger, they can be tricky to take everywhere with you! There is also the fact that there are only some regions that will allow you to have a kangaroo as a pet. Even then, you will probably need a license.
Ducks
Ducks are far less controversial than kangaroos. They are smaller, more docile, and are rather common pets. However, some ducks can be trained to help humans with specific emotional needs. This can include cuddling or lying down with their human. In doing so, they can help some people to feel calmer and even prevent panic attacks. There are many cute moments online of these waddling babies being take onboard flights with their humans.
Monkeys
It isn’t too difficult to see monkeys as being emotionally supportive. After all, they are fairly close to humans in many ways. Not to mention, smaller species are pretty friendly and affectionate. And, as they are incredibly intelligent creatures, they can also be trained to carry out a number of tasks.
Now, not all monkeys fit this bill – they are plenty that can be aggressive, particularly when they are in public or in strange environments. Also, depending on where you live, there may be restrictions on whether or not you can keep a monkey as a pet.
Peacocks
It can be difficult to think of peacocks as pets, let alone emotional support animals. This hasn’t stopped people from claiming these stunning flightless birds as such, though. Still, not everyone is ready give peacocks this title. For one thing, the male of the species can be aggressive at times. And, even if the bird is pretty calm, its fantastic plumage can take up quite a bit of room – this can make it to travel around.
Miniature Horse
On the surface, a miniature horse as an emotional support animal can seem pretty out there. Nevertheless, the American Disability Act shows that these animals can be service animals. So, using them as ESAs don’t seem all that crazy after all! There have been instances where these adorable creatures have even been allowed on airlines.
Pigs
When you think about it, pigs can seem like a rather odd emotional support animal. Still, it is becoming more and more common to have pigs as pets. This is because they can be loyal, intelligent, and utterly adorable. And, once you have bonded with them, having them around can be a great comfort. What more could you ask for from your emotional support animal?
These are the top most unusual animals you can have as emotional support animals. As you can see, some people find comfort with the strangest of animals!
