All right, cheat listeners, let's take a trip and I mean like we're gonna get on a plane.

Imagine you've just boarded a flight. You found your seat, stole your carry on and

then been above, you're settling in, scrolling through the movie option, and then the person

who has a seat next to you arrives. They've got a carry on bag slung over their shoulder

and in their arms, a 70 pound pig. Yes, a pig. But then before the plane can even take

off, the pig flops into the aisle and does its business. Yes, and while the passenger

tries to clean up after her dependent, the pig begins to howl. Inside addition even

did a piece on one of these flying pigs, named Hamlet. So what do the other passengers think

of flying with a pig on board? At this point, are y'all wondering what I'm wondering? How

in the name of sit back relax and enjoy the flight, was this pig allowed on the plane?

Well, it's all due to its status as an emotional support animal.

ESAs are a form of assistant animals that popped up in the early 2000s. Different from service

animals, but not the same as pets. ESAs are meant to provide a therapeutic purpose for someone

who has anxiety, depression, PTSD, or other psychological disorders. And you need a certificate

from a mental health professional to qualify your animal as one. But these animals don't need

to be trained in order to qualify. And once people realize that the certificate came with some

really great benefits, you saw a boom in ESAs. At the time, in the early 2000s, that same certificate

would also let you carry your animal for free on an airplane. So, you know, if somebody paid

a hundred bucks to get the certificate, it was a bargain. They could fly anywhere they wanted

with their animal and not pay for it, and they could get into the apartment they wanted.

The difference between an emotional support animal and bade the pig starts to get pretty

hazy when people use their ESA status to just do whatever they want with their pets.

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