How About a Goat?

I just read a very interesting article by Josh Sanburn in the latest "Time" magazine about ESAs. An ESA is an emotional support animal. They are used to counteract depression and anxiety in people and seem to be very successful at it. Many people take antidepressant medication for help, but others are wary of the many side effects they can cause. So ESAs are used as well as is sometimes regular counseling. For pets to be certified as ESAs, all you need is a note from a mental health professional stating that you need an animal to help with your symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, this wouldn't apply to animals such as spiders, snakes, elephants, skunks . . . use your head! It would be for animals such as dogs, pigs, cats, birds, mice, rats, iguanas and so on. These are not to be confused with therapy animals that are used by the blind, or animals trained to perform tasks for their owners. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other authorities have acknowledged the fact that just the presence of a pet has positive health benefits. Petting a dog can lower blood pressure and heart rate. I don't have a dog, but I do have two little sparrows - Larry and Larry - whom I feed on my deck. I love watching them but I don't touch them so I don't think petting them is a consideration. But I do love my two little ESAs and hope they are working on my blood pressure even though I don't pet them. I'm feeding them - what more could they ask for? ESAs don't have to be trained as do service animals. It's just their comforting presence that helps lessen depression and anxiety in their owners. 

The article mentions a young woman, Danielle Forgione, who lives in Queens, NY, and has an ESA pig. But she is about to be evicted from her co-op unless she gets rid of Petey, her pig. From reading about her circumstances, I think she really needs the support she gets from Petey as she's had some sad happenings in her recent past. She is fighting the eviction and has contacted her New York state senator. She has until July 1 to get rid of Petey or else she'll be evicted. A neighbor complained that she had a farm animal in her apartment and that's what started the brouhaha. Who cares if she has a farm animal in her apartment? Isn't that better than the bed bugs that were all over New York? Pigs are clean with no hair. I doubt that Petey will be rooting around in any mud in her apartment.

I hope for the best for Danielle and Petey the pig. I think Petey is much better than the green iguana on some guy's neck that is pictured in this article. That iguana is creepy as he looks like he's ready to take a bite out of the guy's neck! Petey would never do that. And neither would my ESAs.