For pet owners, the advantage of having a furry roommate has always been obvious. Researchers also know that pets promote the health of masters and mistresses in different ways. For example, the four-legged friends stood by their people during the lockdown during the pandemic. They were an emotional support for their owners, a research team from the UK found.
Another study even shows that the presence of a dog in the emergency room can reduce patients’ pain. Researchers were able to determine this effect after only ten minutes in the patients who were provided with a therapy dog.
The animal companions can also be something like furry therapists: A survey by “Certa Pet” with 298 people who are supported by therapy dogs showed that they feel safer, have more energy, sleep better and less To be on stress. In a 2018 meta-analysis of 17 studies, scientists found that animals can distract people with mental illness from their symptoms, calm them down, help them maintain their confidence, and be good companions.
From monkey to pig – unusual emotional supports
One of these four-legged friends is Finn the rabbit. The furry sidekick supports Erin Scannell, a young American, on her mental health journey. She was first diagnosed with major depression in high school. During her studies, Erin Scannell got a unique opportunity to transfer from the University of Delware to an excellent animal science program at Cornell University, as she tells “CNN”. But the move leads to strong anxiety symptoms and nocturnal panic attacks in the young woman. Her therapist suggested that a four-legged friend support her. That’s how Finn came to her as an “Emotional Support Animal”.
“Emotional Support Animals” (ESA) are intended to support people with mental illnesses in everyday life. Unlike service animals, these animals are not trained to provide assistance, but rather help their owners with their presence. In order to register an animal as an ESA in the US, a therapist must write a letter of recommendation explaining that a human needs the animal for emotional support, animal expert Nicole Ellis told Bestlife. For Erin Scannell it is clear that Finn has helped her a lot. He was always a reason to come home and not beat your ears in the library all night, she told CNN. Meanwhile, Finn also inspires more than 14,000 people on Instagram, who follow Scannell’s furry friend there.
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There are many more animals like Finn. Over 350,000 Emotional Support Animals are registered with the National Service Animal Registry. A for-profit company that sells certificates for owners. When most people think of a therapy animal, they certainly think of dogs – maybe also cats, rabbits or guinea pigs – but certainly not a peacock or a monkey. In the meantime, the rules surrounding “Emotional Support Animals” have become stricter. Many airlines, for example, only take dogs on the plane as therapy animals. But it’s still worth taking a look at ten slightly more unusual Emotional Support Animals. Even if one or the other (wild) animal would certainly prefer to live in the wild instead of supporting people. We show you in the picture gallery!
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Source: Stern
