Did you know that about 68 percent of all Americans own a pet? Many people love playing with their pets or simply just having something to take care of. One such person is Chloe Young (10).

Young enjoys the company of her dog because, for her, a pet is a comfort.

“ I enjoy cuddling with my dog because it relieves stress,” said Young.

Have you ever found yourself playing or petting your pet for comfort or even to relieve stress? It’s been scientifically proven that having a pet can reduce stress and release chemicals in your brain that make you happy and stress free. For some animals, relieving stress is a job. These animals are called emotional support animals, or ESAs. Here is a few of the weirdest or most unusual ESAs out there.

The first unusual ESA is a domestic turkey. Most domestic turkeys are too fat to fly, but this turkey took flight on Delta Airlines. Many passengers were surprised to see this large bird sitting next to them on the flight. In fact, many people complained, but the owner was able to show documentation that the bird was indeed an emotional support animal.

When seeing snakes, many people may cringe or runaway in fear, but for one man they are a comfort. The man who owns this slithering reptile suffers from a condition which causes sudden seizures. When these seizures happen the snake wraps around and hugs its owner and comforts him until the seizure is over. Many other people own a service snake and say that having it wrap around you is comforting and makes you feel safe.

For most peacocks, days are spent roaming around for food and being a colorful collection of tail feathers. However, for this peacock, days are spent on the job. This peacock’s name is Dexter, and his job is to comfort his owner while on flights or on long road trips. However, just like the turkey and other exotic ESAs, it took six hours to get this emotional support bird on its flight. Eventually, the owner bought the bird its own seat.

This final ESA is a camel. Commonly a beast a burden, this is a beast of support. One large camel visited a rehabilitation center recently and brightened the day of many patients. Patients enjoyed feeding and even receiving hugs from the camel.

From dogs to camels, virtually anything can be an ESA if trained properly. ESAs can help with depression and anxiety and also give their owners a companion. It seems no matter how odd the animal may be, humans can find comfort in even the weirdest companions.

Sources: https://whttps://mooshme.com/8-craziest-emotional-support-animals/

                 https://www.elitereaders.com/unusual-service-animals