Emotional support or hogwash? Man fights to keep his pet pig

kAmrp}py~wp#xt[ }]*] Wp!X — t==:6 E96 A@E36==:65 A:8 D?F88=6D FA E@ (JG6C?6 u=2EE H96? 96 H2E496D %' 2?5 D@>6E:>6D C@==D @G6C E@ =6E 9:> A6E 96C 36==J] %96 ``_\A@F?5 A:8 :D Q72>:=J[Q u=2EE D2JD[ 2? 6>@E:@?2= DFAA@CE 2?:>2= H9@ 96=A65 9:> E9C@F89 2 5:G@C46 2?5 E96 562E9 @7 9:D >@E96C]k^Am

kAm~77:4:2=D :? 9:D FADE2E6 G:==286 @7 r2?2;@92C:6 D66 :E G6CJ 5:776C6?E=J] %@ E96>[ E96 A:8 :D 2 72C> 2?:>2= u=2EE :D 92C3@C:?8 :? E96 G:==286 :==682==J]k^Am

kAm%96 42D6 4@F=5 D@@? 36 962565 E@ 2 4C:>:?2= EC:2=] qFE :E 92D 2=C625J 42F89E E96 2EE6?E:@? @7 A:8 A2CE:D2?D H9@ 36=:6G6 E96 2?:>2=D D9@F=5 36 C6DA64E65 >@C6 2D 4@>A2?:@?D :?DE625 @7 ;FDE 2 7@@5 D@FC46]k^Am

kAmQx 4@F=5 ?6G6C 5C62> @7 8:G:?8 2H2J D@>63@5J H9@VD A2CE @7 >J 72>:=J[Q u=2EE D2:5 C646?E=J 2D 96 A2EE65 E96 A:8 :? 9:D <:E496?] Q$96VD G6CJ D>2CE] $96VD >@C6 :?E6==:86?E E92? >J 5@8D] x E9:?< D96 42? <:?5 @7 9@?6 :? @? J@F H96? J@FVC6 766=:?8 325 3642FD6 D96V== H2?E E@ 4@>6 :? 2?5 D?F88=6 H:E9 J@F]Qk^Am

kAmk6>m$E@CJ 4@?E:?F6D 27E6C A9@E@ 82==6CJk^6>mk^Am

kAmt==:6 :D 2 <?66\9:89 ':6E?2>6D6 A@E36==:65 A:8 H:E9 2 3=24< 4@2E 2?5 9@@G6D E92E 4=24< @? E96 7=@@C 2D D96 H2=<D 7C@> 96C <:E496? 7@@5 5:D9] u=2EE H2D =:G:?8 :? $@FE9 r2C@=:?2 H96? 96 8@E E96 A:8 :? a_`g[ H96? D96 H2D Q23@FE 2D 3:8 2D 2 D9@6]Qk^Am

kAm$96 42>6 ?@CE9 H:E9 u=2EE :? a_`h H96? 96 >@G65 E@ r2?2;@92C:6[ 2 >@56DE G:==286 @? E96 |@92H< #:G6C 5@>:?2E65 3J E96 9FD< @7 E96 @=5 q6649\}FE 7@@5 A=2?E]k^Am

kAmu=2EE[ dc[ 3@F89E 2 7:I6C\FAA6C ?62C E96 3FD:?6DD 46?E6C @7 E96 G:==286 H:E9 A=2?D E@ C6>@56= :E 2?5 >2J36 @A6? C6DE2FC2?E @? A2CE @7 E96 8C@F?5 7=@@C] w6 2=D@ 92D EH@ 5@8D 2?5 EH@ 42ED]k^Am

kAmp G:==286 4@56 @77:46C E@=5 u=2EE 96 H2D 9@FD:?8 t==:6 :==682==J :? ~4E@36C a_`h 5FC:?8 2 G:D:E 7@C 2 3F:=5:?8 A6C>:E C6BF6DE] (96? E96 G:==286 ?@E:465 t==:6 H2D DE:== E96C6 D:I >@?E9D =2E6C[ u=2EE H2D 7@C>2==J ?@E:7:65 96 H2D G:@=2E:?8 E96 =@42= 4@56 32CC:?8 72C> 2?:>2=D :? E96 G:==286] ':@=2E:@? @7 2 K@?:?8 4@56 :D 2 >:D56>62?@C F?56C DE2E6 =2H[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 4@FCE 7:=:?8D]k^Am

kAmq@E9 D:56D 92G6 5F8 :? D:?46 E96?]k^Am

kAmu=2EE D2JD E96 G:==286 :D A:4<:?8 @? 9:D A:8[ H9:49 96 D2JD :D 4=62? 2?5 D>2CE] $6G6C2= @7 9:D ?6:893@CD 92G6 D:8?65 277:52G:ED D2J:?8 E96J =:<6 t==:6]k^Am

kAm':==286 |2J@C y677 q2<6C D2:5 E96 3@2C5 92D ?@ 4@>>6?E H9:=6 E96 4@FCE 42D6 :D A6?5:?8] qFE 2? 2EE@C?6J 7@C E96 G:==286 HC@E6 :? 2 4@FCE 7:=:?8 E92E E96 A:8 :D 2 A@E6?E:2= AF3=:4 962=E9 92K2C5] $96 2C8F65 E92E :7 Q6G6CJ 4:E:K6? H6C6 E@ @A6?=J D4@77 2E E96 ':==286 K@?:?8 4@56D ]]] H6 H@F=5 =:G6 :? 2 =2H=6DD D@4:6EJ]Qk^Am

kAmt==:6VD 72E6 4@F=5 9:?86 @? 7656C2= 9@FD:?8 8F:52?46 E92E D2JD >F?:4:A2=:E:6D D9@F=5 AC@G:56 2 QC62D@?23=6 244@>>@52E:@?Q H96? 2 A6CD@? 42? 56>@?DEC2E6 2? 2?:>2= AC@G:56D 6>@E:@?2= DFAA@CE 7@C 2 5:D23:=:EJ\C6=2E65 ?665] u=2EEVD 2EE@C?6J 2C8F6D E92E 9:D 4=:6?E >66ED E92E E6DE[ D2J:?8 E92E t==:6 2==@H65 u=2EE E@ 86E @77 9:D >65:42E:@? 2?5 4@A6 H:E9 9:D 2?I:6EJ]k^Am

kAm%96 G:==286 92D 2C8F65 :? 4@FCE 7:=:?8D :E :D H:==:?8 E@ >2<6 C62D@?23=6 244@>>@52E:@?D[ 3FE E92E u=2EE ?6G6C >6E E96 DE2?52C5]k^Am

kAmp ?@E6 7C@> 2 ?FCD6 AC24E:E:@?6C D2J:?8 t==:6 96=A65 u=2EE 86E @77 @7 >65:42E:@? :D :? 5:DAFE6] p?5 H9:=6 96 <66AD :? 9:D H2==6E 2 =2>:?2E65 42C5 :==FDEC2E65 H:E9 2 9625D9@E @7 t==:6 D2J:?8 D96 :D 2 QC68:DE6C65 6>@E:@?2= DFAA@CE 2?:>2=[Q E96 G:==286VD 2EE@C?6J D2:5 :E H2D @3E2:?65 @?=:?6 7@C 2 766 H:E9 ?@ 7@C>2= =682= AC@46DD]k^Am

kAmQs676?52?E AC@G:565 ?@ =68:E:>2E6 AC@@7 E92E 96 :D 2 A6CD@? F?56C 5:D23:=:EJ[ 2?5 ?@ AC@@7 E92E 9:D 5:D23:=:EJ H2D C6>65:65 3J 92G:?8 2? 6>@E:@?2= DFAA@CE 2?:>2=[ ?@C E92E E96 A2CE:4F=2C 2?:>2= — 2 A:8 — H2D E96 @?=J DF:E23=6 C6>65J 7@C 9:D 4@?5:E:@?[Q 2EE@C?6J z:CDE6? sF?? HC@E6 :? 2 7:=:?8 =2DE J62C]k^Am

kAmp EC:2= H2D D4965F=65 E@ DE2CE |2C49 aa[ 3FE 92D 366? 56=2J65] x7 7@F?5 8F:=EJ[ u=2EE 4@F=5 7246 ;2:= E:>6 @C 92G6 E96 A:8 E2<6? 7C@> 9:>[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 9:D 2EE@C?6J]k^Am

kAmt>@E:@?2= DFAA@CE 2?:>2=D 92G6 364@>6 4@>>@? :? C646?E 564256D] p7E6C J62CD @7 A2DD6?86CD 3C:?8:?8 A:8D[ C233:ED[ 3:C5D 2?5 @E96C 2?:>2=D @? 2:CA=2?6D[ 7656C2= EC2?DA@CE2E:@? @77:4:2=D :? a_a_ D2:5 2:C=:?6D ?@ =@?86C 925 E@ 244@>>@52E6 6>@E:@?2= DFAA@CE 2?:>2=D]k^Am

kAmp?5 u=2EE :D ?@E E96 7:CDE A:8 @H?6C D66<:?8 6>@E:@?2= DFAA@CE E@ CF? 27@F= @7 =@42= 9@FD:?8 =2HD]k^Am

kAmx? a_`h[ 2 72>:=J :? E96 qF772=@ DF3FC3 @7 p>96CDE H6C6 ?@E 2==@H65 E@ <66A 2 A@E36==:65 A:8[ ?2>65 !@C< r9@A[ E96J D2:5 H2D 2? 6>@E:@?2= DFAA@CE 2?:>2= 7@C E96:C 52F89E6C\:?\=2H] p? x?5:2?2 H@>2? H2D E@=5 :? a_`g E@ 86E C:5 @7 96C 6>@E:@?2= DFAA@CE A:8 7@C D:>:=2C C62D@?D]k^Am

kAmp=E9@F89 A6@A=6 :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 92G6 366? <66A:?8 D>2==6C A:8D 2D A6ED 7@C 564256D[ E96:C 25G@42E6D D2J E96JVC6 DE:== G:6H65 3J D@>6 A6@A=6 2D =:EE=6 >@C6 E92? =:G6DE@4<]k^Am

kAmQ%96C6VD 2 5:D4@??64E :? >@DE A6@A=6VD >:?5D E92E 6G6? E9@F89 E96D6 2?:>2=D H6C6 :>A@CE65 @C:8:?2==J 2D A6ED[ E96J H6C6 ?6G6C :?E6?565 E@ 36 7@@5] %96C6VD DE:== 2 =@E @7 A6@A=6 H9@ 5@ E92E 6BF2E:@?i !:8 6BF2=D 7@@5[Q D2:5 z2E9J $E6G6?D[ 7@F?56C @7 E96 r2ED<:== p?:>2= $2?4EF2CJ 7@C C6D4F65 72C> 2?:>2=D 2?5 2 DFAA@CE6C @7 u=2EE]k^Am

kAm$E:==[ >2?J >F?:4:A2=:E:6D 2C@F?5 E96 4@F?ECJ 2==@H C6D:56?ED E@ <66A A:8D 2D A6ED] $@>6 =@42= =2HD D@>6E:>6D DA64:7J A6E A:8D >FDE 36 F?56C 2 DA64:7:65 H6:89E] ~E96C =2HD 2==@H @?=J A@E\36==:65 A:8D]k^Am

kAmr2?2;@92C:6 2AAC@G65 2 ?6H =2H :? y2?F2CJ 4=2C:7J:?8 :ED =2HD @? <66A:?8 2?:>2=D[ 4:E:?8 2 DFC86 :? G:@=2E:@?D] u2C> 2?:>2=D 2C6 DE:== 32CC65 F?56C E96 =2H[ H9:49 DA6==D @FE CF=6D 7@C C6D:56?ED D66<:?8 2 C62D@?23=6 244@>>@52E:@?]k^Am

kAmu=2EE D2:5 96VD C646:G65 @776CD 7C@> A6@A=6 E@ 9@FD6 t==:6 @FED:56 E96 G:==286[ 3FE 96 H2?ED E@ 7:89E E@ <66A 96C]k^Am

kAmQxV> 9@A:?8 E9:D D6ED 2 AC64656?E E92E A6@A=6 DE2CE F?56CDE2?5:?8 E92E E96D6 2C6 A6ED[Q 96 D2:5] Q%96D6 2C6 ?@E D@>6E9:?8 J@F 8@ 9@>6 2?5 D=2F89E6C 2?5 62E]Qk^Am

kAmYYYk^Am