• Whither the in-flight emotional support miniatures horses?
• “Officials highlighted a few areas where they are most eager to get comments, including whether miniatures horses should continue to qualify as service animals”
Proposed new FAA rules would mean no more passengers bringing what are identified as emotional-support animals on airplanes, unless the animals are specially trained dogs that meet requirements. Read the rest
Texanne McBride-Teahan of the St. Louis suburb Creve Coeur, is fighting in court to keep her emotional support animals: a black-capped capuchin monkey named Paula, a patas monkey named Zoey, and a bonnet macaque named Kalie Anna. Shortly after McBride-Teahan moved in to her home, neighbors apparently complained. From CNN:
Monkeys are considered an "inherently dangerous animal" along with alligators, lions and pythons and are thus prohibited in residential areas, according to the City of Creve Coeur...
McBride-Teahan considers the monkeys emotional support animals and has a doctor's letter and registration cards for them, she told CNN through Facebook. The animals help her cope with post-traumatic stress disorder related to an incident when she was a teenager, McBride-Teahan added...
"Monkeys are little. Less than 9 pounds. Pictures show they aren't dangerous. To me they are life savers for my PTSD. We just want to live in peace," McBride-Teahan told CNN.
After all this, the monkeys may need emotional support humans.
Joei Henney, 65, of Strinestown, Pennsylvania has an alligator as his registered emotional support animal. According to Henney, the 5-foot alligator, named Wally, helps Henney manage his depression. Apparently, the reptile is very generous with his hugs. From the Philadelphia Inquirer:
A man who answered an e-mail from a reporter about Wally from the web site Service Dog Registration of America said, "Our therapist would never approve a client to have an alligator as an emotional support animal. "
Henney’s doctor did.
“My doctor wanted to put me on depression medicine, and I hate taking medicine. I had Wally, and when I came home and was around him, it was all OK," he said. “My doctor knew about Wally and figured it works, so why not?”
Wally, Henney cautioned, is still a wild animal, one that could tear his arm off now, and do worse later...
“He has never tried to bite no one,” Henney said. “I don’t push him on to people. I tell people to respect him, not fear him. He will not hurt you.”
images: Joie Henney/Facebook Read the rest
