In Need of an Emotional Support Animal? Here are 10 Outside the Box Ideas! (2 of 6)

Alligator

Although alligators can weigh as much as 1,000lb (450kg) and grow to be as long as 15ft (4.5m), we live in a world where some people are totally cool about keeping those things as an emotional support animal. Take Wally the Alligator, who initially made the news back in 2023 when his owner Joie took him to a Philadelphia Phillies baseball game to meet the players. Sadly, a year later Wally became an even bigger news story when it was reported that he had been kidnapped while joining Joie and his family on vacation and hasn’t been seen since.

Pig

Pigs are as smart as dogs, but we often forget this because we love their taste.  Officially recognized by the ADA as potential service animals, it really doesn’t come as a surprise that they are among the most popular unconventional emotional support animals. But before you go out and adopt one, heed our warning: they can be stubborn. A news story that circulated in 2014 reported that a passenger and her 80lb (36kg) emotional support pig got booted from a flight after said pig took a dump in the aisle and wouldn’t stop with their incessant oinking!