(very) OT: Emotional Support Animals

[MathOfInsects]

I'd kill to spend an hour with some kid pulling off the cat act, like Maureen Ponderosa in It's Always Sunny. Who is complaining about this? How awesome would that be in real life?? How committed is this kid to the part? Does the kid jump up onto his chair and turn in circles before sitting? Sit on other kids' books while they're reading? Knock their pencils off their desks over and over? Please tell me this is real so I can go watch it in real life!

 

Anyway, I look forward to a time when someone being their actual self (instead of this anti-trans nonsense story) is not viewed as being "let" to do anything, or reduced to "the identifying thing." Who is the "we" doing the "letting" in that construct, anyway? There's a committee somewhere? Am I on it?

 

[SMcD]

Going to get dangerously close to breaking the "no politics" rule here to say that the "slippery slope" between [gender identity and similar such issues] and [living and pooping as though you are not a human] is pretty much nonexistent. The former is well-known and perfectly valid, whereas the latter is something that happens in a very small number of looney cases and is otherwise largely made up to try and discredit the former.

 

I'll also add that those of us who like synthesizers owe a great deal to Wendy Carlos, a transgender woman who was a pioneer in more than one respect.

[ProfD]

From a property management perspective, I agree with charging a higher deposit to folks with animals regardless of how and why they plan to use them.  That tax doesn't have to be applied to every tenant.

 

Around these parts, apartment rentals and hotels charge more money for pets/animals if they even allow them.😎

[eric]

I am a laid back slumlord that requires a "pet deposit" for renters with pets. If the renter's pet does damage that is out of hand, I keep their deposit. If I receive complaints of unacceptable behavior (e.g. renter's pet mistreating a neighbor's yard), I will warn the renter. I have been doing this for 20+ years with no issues.

 

As for the "emotional support" pets, I have less commentary there, other than it seems to have become more of a norm in recent years and seems a bit questionable. I've had pets since I was a young child and have never found the opportunity for my pets to accompany me to each event/trip...they generally stay at home. At least that's how I was conditioned with pets.

[RandyFF]

I’ve heard it costs upwards of $50,000 to train a service dog!

 

I wonder if there could be some kind of certification for emotional support dogs?  As many have noted, oftentimes a person can get away with claiming their dog is for emotional support.  But if there was actual training/certification involved, it would be more tolerable.  

 

An emotional support dog wouldn’t need nearly the amount of training as service dogs do, but essentially would be ‘socialized’ to eliminate typical bad dog behaviors: pee/poo in appropriate places, not jumping up on people, mostly paying attention to their person, no barking, overall calm demeanor, not overly interested in other dogs, etc.

 

I suppose, like in a restaurant for example, you could be required to show proof of this kind of training.  Personally I’d be fine with dogs like that in restaurants.

 

I love dogs, but I’m discouraged by how difficult it is to train them!!!  Even breeds that are ‘smart’ and learn well.  Your best bet is to get them once they’ve been weaned, and even then I believe it takes 2-3 years.  There’s a documentary on Netflix, Muster Dogs, about training, mostly Kelpies, to herd cattle.  

 

I don’t think it’s a problem for the OP to simply reject applications of people with dogs.  There’s all kinds of reasons why people get or don’t get a rental.  It’s of course a whole can of worms if they don’t tell you and then the dogs damage your property!

[CHarrell]

4 hours ago, BluMunk said:

No, you don't.
 

 

So you haven't seen it for yourself? I thought you said you know someone who does, and whose parents facilitate. 
 

 

I don't think "we" are letting "them" identify as anything, because this isn't a real situation.

@AROIOS, that man is lying.

This is a "(very) OT" topic, and I can see why we generally keep things locked down pretty tight here on this forum. It doesn't take much for folks to start pulling in fear-mongering, click-bait, lies-pretending-to-be-news, people-today-are-too-tolerant-look-kids-are-shitting-in-litter-boxes-and-no-one-dares-stop-them bullshit.
 

 

Oh my god thank you so much, this thread was getting hard to read with all these Joe Rogan-ass anecdote stories.

 

This issue of emotional support animals is one that I've personally observed for the last 10 years or so, though. Obviously, animals/pets can provide a great therapeutic benefit to their owners, but there is a difference between this and trained support animals. The conduct between the two is usually if not always very apparent, and as someone said, there's official certification and processes someone has to go through to have an animal designated as a support animal.

 

Going back to the first sentence, and some of the focus the thread took: a couple years ago, I was walking on my way home and near me was this person around my age (mid-late 20s) with a cane. Immediately all these kinds of thoughts were coming up: "What does a 20something need with a cane? I bet they're faking something, it's in their head and they're making themselves weaker", etc. This went on for like two minutes, and after, I was like wait...why was I so angry? Here was this person I didn't know, didn't even talk to, would probably never see again, and I was lobbing all of this crap on them that I had no way to verify one way or the other, and getting worked up about it! And what for? I started asking myself if there was a connection to my immediate cynicism towards that person and how I treat myself, and I didn't like the answer very much. I've said it before in context with music on several threads before, but it's a much healthier and successful life to take that energy trying to convince myself of my superiority over others--and yes, that situation with that stranger was exactly that, whether I recognized it as such or not--, and transfer that energy into winning over myself. 

 

[Stokely]

In this case, this is at "home" even though they don't own it, so it's a different deal than a restaurant.  I just don't buy that bringing a dog to a public place is any kind of "support"--it's got to be more stress, trying to keep the animal under control and safe in places where they really shouldn't be.  I've seen them at our gigs and I want to yell at the people for potentially hurting the dog's ears, frankly.

It's really no big deal, I only posted more out of getting a kick out of this trend than really complaining about it.  Though I am a bit peeved at replacing much of the sod in our large back yard, and I'm not sure if my wife went after them for the cost.   I stay out of the way!    Pet deposit, vs a no-pets policy, seems like the way to go if people have found a way around the no-pets thing as they appear to have done.
 

[ProfD]

23 minutes ago, Stokely said:

Though I am a bit peeved at replacing much of the sod in our large back yard...

Understandably.  A healthy security deposit makes it easier to deal with tenant damages within reason.😎

[BluMunk]

43 minutes ago, CHarrell said:

"What does a 20something need with a cane? I bet they're faking something, it's in their head and they're making themselves weaker", etc. This went on for like two minutes, and after, I was like wait...why was I so angry? Here was this person I didn't know, didn't even talk to, would probably never see again, and I was lobbing all of this crap on them that I had no way to verify one way or the other, and getting worked up about it! And what for? I started asking myself if there was a connection to my immediate cynicism towards that person and how I treat myself, and I didn't like the answer very much. I've said it before in context with music on several threads before, but it's a much healthier and successful life to spend that energy trying to convince myself of my superiority over others--and yes, that situation with that stranger was exactly that, whether I recognized it as such or not--, and transfer that energy into winning over myself. 

Yes. Anecdote: my wife, in her mid 30s, had a spinal injury (herniated disk of significant severity) brought on by nothing particularly notable or extreme- some light yard cleaning in the spring of 2021. She spent 1 year in bed in pain (not much hyperbole there... most of that year she could not sit or walk without moderate to severe pain, even with painkillers) before getting surgery. The surgery was successful, but even so there has not been a moment since then where her physical ability or comfort has been the same as it was before. She is currently in a prolonged period of regression in which her mobility is severely limited and the pain is high. This has upended her and our lives in an extreme degree. Long term plans and goals have had to change, and the way each of us move through the world in our day-to-day is also unrecognizable from before the injury. The places she can go and things that she can do are wildly limited, and made even more so when places are not accessible.

She has a cane and a walker, each of which she uses for different purposes or when her body is acting in various ways. 

I can tell you (and everyone): the difference between using a mobility aid and not is the difference between participation in society and despair and exclusion. No one (statistically) is using these tools for fun, and the idea that a mobility aid represents a person's lack of willpower to just get over things is perhaps the most toxic form of ablism out there. 

And, I want to acknowledge that what you shared is hard to get over. Even knowing the truth of the matter, it can be hard for me. Heck, it can be hard for my wife to get over that feeling of shame and failure that using those tools brings: "maybe if I was better at healing myself, I wouldn't have to use these. Maybe it's my fault."  Even many care providers seem to hold this strange combination of optimism and gaslighting with regards to her experience- "yes, things are bad, but let's not go the extreme route of [something that will provide relief or accessibility] yet... maybe you can just tough it out until it gets better!"

[AROIOS]

18 hours ago, BluMunk said:

 

@AROIOS, that man is lying.
 

 

Of course he is. It's satire.

[Legatoboy]

I try to be my own emotional support animal....  

[o0Ampy0o]

Speaking of anecdotes, one of the greatest turns of events in my life converged when I received a puppy as a gift after a relationship ended. At that time I was certain giving an animal as a gift was a terrible idea. But I was fortunate to have a best friend who knew me and what I needed more than I knew myself in some ways. That dog saved my life.

 

An aside, the puppy (still less than a year old) and I attended a birthday party for a friend's dog. Most of the guests brought their dogs. It was like a child's birthday party where everyone brings their children. At one point people were showing the tricks their dogs could do with each going out and performing for the crowd. I watched each trick and knew my puppy could do all of those tricks with a single lesson not having ever done them before. I was too shy to get out there and show the crowd but as soon as I got home I had this dog do every trick I had seen that day with a single introduction. That is how smart this dog was.

[allan_evett]

Common sense is rare, apparently... Many people do take of their pets, and surroundings; but a few miscreants spoil it for others. It's been my understanding that hotels, short/long term rentals need to see certification for service animals to allow pets - when no-pet policies are in place. I guess too many are taking advantage. 

We find lodging that allows pets for free, or for a small fee.  My avatar critter could definitely pass as a service animal (she loves everybody), but her 'brother' would definitely not 

 

[David Emm]

9 hours ago, allan_evett said:

Common sense is rare, apparently... Many people do take of their pets, and surroundings; but a few miscreants spoil it for others. It's been my understanding that hotels, short/long term rentals need to see certification for service animals to allow pets - when no-pet policies are in place. I guess too many are taking advantage. 

We find lodging that allows pets for free, or for a small fee.  My avatar critter could definitely pass as a service animal (she loves everybody), but her 'brother' would definitely not 

 

 

This picture immediately took me back to a friend who introduced her dogs as "Teeny is a real sweetheart, but Doug is a little sh*t who would turn in his own momma for a Snausage."

 

 

[David Emm]

14 hours ago, Legatoboy said:

I try to be my own emotional support animal....  

 

Me too, but it sometimes ends up dovetailing with the thread about opiated Ouzo. 😬 That's utterly illegal and rightfully so, but I'm glad I had an opportunity to experience it. Its another form of altered state, not unlike playing keyboards....

[Legatoboy]

10 hours ago, David Emm said:

 

Me too, but it sometimes ends up dovetailing with the thread about opiated Ouzo. 😬 That's utterly illegal and rightfully so, but I'm glad I had an opportunity to experience it. Its another form of altered state, not unlike playing keyboards....

We have a lot of cats in the house… sometimes … up to 5 … but down to 2 right now…. I was being silly..mostly.

[Hernán Vallejos]

Man, the whole "emotional support animal" trend is getting out of hand. I get it if someone genuinely needs it, but some folks are just exploiting it.

[Threadslayer]

2 hours ago, Hernán Vallejos said:

but some folks are just exploiting it.

I know several who are blatantly doing so.