Latest news with #emotionalSupportAnimal
CBS News
15 hours ago
- Health
- CBS News
Staten Island family fights to keep beloved pet pig Lucy after 311 complaint
A Staten Island family is fighting to keep Lucy the pig, their beloved pet and emotional support animal. Health officials are threatening to take her away because they say it's illegal to have a pet pig in New York City. Pet pigs are illegal in NYC, health officials say Lucy was the subject of an anonymous 311 complaint earlier in June. Shortly after, a representative from the Health Department knocked on their door. "She said, 'They're not allowed in New York City. You're violating the law.' And I said, 'I didn't know, I'm confused.' She says, 'Well, we're gonna have to get back to you,'" owner Loriann Gannone said. A Staten Island family is fighting to keep Lucy the pig, their beloved pet and emotional support animal. CBS News New York "In New York City, keeping a pig as a pet has been prohibited for at least 25 years. And for good reason — pigs need outside space and companionship of other pigs to thrive, they can become aggressive toward people, and pig manure is especially odorous and may be problematic for neighbors. In addition, there is no USDA-approved rabies vaccine for pigs. All of this makes it inappropriate to keep pigs as pets in New York City," the city Department of Health said in a statement. The Health Department said no violations have been issued, and a City Hall spokesperson says they're working on a solution that involves getting Lucy moved to the Gannone family's house upstate, which the family says is under a lot of construction. Thousands sign online petition supporting Gannone family At 15 years old, the senior pig spends her days on a series of medication and resting on the couch, her owners say. "There's no benefit to remove this animal from the community," owner Michael Gannone said. "I take care of my grandchildren. I gotta pick them up from school, take them to school," Loriann Gannone said. "And then I gotta take care of [Lucy]. It's a lot of stress." In the past week, nearly 9,000 people have signed an online petition for the family to keep the pig. Their efforts have also gotten support from lawmakers like Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis. Family friend Kaitlyn Grotto made her usual visit to Lucy the pig with her two young children, ages 1 and 4. CBS News New York Family friend Kaitlyn Grotto made her usual visit to Lucy with her two young children, ages 1 and 4. "She was raised around us, so any other environment is not gonna be fit for her," Grotto said. "No threat to anyone, this darling pig." The Gannones plan on meeting with supportive local lawmakers as soon as this weekend, hoping to find a solution.
Travel Weekly
2 days ago
- Travel Weekly
Advisors: Share your craziest client story for a report in Travel Weekly
Travel Weekly is collecting advisors' stories for a published report about the craziest requests their clients have made. Did they ask to travel with an emotional support aardvark? Need a flock of a dozen white doves released at their destination wedding? Something else entirely? We want to hear about it and how you handled the situation. Send us your story. The best stories, which may be edited for length and clarity, will be published in a future report in Travel Weekly.
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Orlando Bloom distracts Tonight Show viewers with 'emotional support' dog amid Katy Perry relationship rumors
Orlando Bloom was upstaged by his tiny dog during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon amid rumors that his relationship with Katy Perry is on the rocks. The Pirates of the Caribbean actor, 48, joined Jimmy, 50, for an interview on Tuesday night to discuss his new television show, Deep Cover, which premiered at this year's Tribeca Film Festival. Instead, though, all eyes were on Orlando's teacup poodle named Biggie Smalls – and even he acknowledged how his miniature pooch is setting the internet alight. 'So, my manager calls me and says, 'You know, you're trending.' And I'm like, 'Well, that's great, I'm trending,'' he began. ''Well, not exactly you. It's the dog,'' he recalled his manager telling him. Orlando then shared that Biggie Smalls serves as his 'emotional support animal,' revealing that he goes nearly everywhere with him. 'He's a real emotional support animal because I'm very emotional right now,' he said. Jimmy jokingly agreed and added: 'You really are. Every time I see you.' The duo continued to gush over Biggie Smalls and both agreed that he 'looks fake' and is the 'whisper of a dog.' Viewers couldn't get enough of the tiny dog on social media either, and continued to fawn over him. 'I love Orlando Bloom, but that little dog was 100 percent adorable,' said one. 'I love puppies and I love Orlando Bloom so great combo,' another agreed. A third added: 'Okay this is too much. Mr Bloom and a Puppy. Oxygen, please.' One, however, boldly claimed that Orlando's appearance with Biggie Smalls was a ploy to distract from the relationship rumors. Commenting on YouTube, they said: 'Katy's team: SEND IN THE HUSBAND TO DISTRACT THEM.' Orlando's appearance on the show came as his fiancé Katy was spotted out in Sydney, Australia, with their four-year-old daughter, Daisy. In exclusive pictures obtained by the 40-year-old singer was seen dressed in a bear onesie with round, floppy ears as she visited Luna Park. Despite her kooky attire, she appeared downcast and somber amid the fresh rumors of strain with Orlando. The California Gurls singer — who album 143 was hit with a wave of negative reviews — also wore a black Balenciaga hip back slung across her upper body, and she covered up with a baseball cap and black sunglasses. Daisy complemented her mother's costume with a mini version of the same look, though she covered up with an additional fuzzy brown coat. While Katy looked less-than-enthused to be spending time at the amusement park, Orlando seemed to be having a blast at the Tribeca Festival in New York City and posed on the red carpet with their adorable Biggle Smalls. The couple's sightings on different continents come amid a new report alleging that Katy's poorly performing album caused 'tension' in their relationship. The singer's seventh studio album, 143, was released in September 2024, and received a largely negative response from fans as well as critics, who claimed the record sounds 'generated through AI.' 'Katy was deeply frustrated following the reception of her new album. It made her very stressed,' a source told People on Monday. 'Orlando was understanding, but it did cause some tension,' the insider added. Another source shared: 'She was also disappointed in some of the tour reviews. It's put stress on their relationship.'
The Guardian
18-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Dogs, rabbits … peacocks? UK offices navigate the rise of emotional support animals
The only problem Kathy has encountered taking her emotional support rabbit into work is when a new colleague wanted to bring in her emotional support dog. 'Her dog was sweet but there was obviously a risk he might attack my rabbit,' said the 28-year-old IT specialist, who uses a co-working office space in Bristol. 'That destroyed all the therapeutic benefits for me of having an emotional support animal [ESA]; the calm was gone. I went into hyperaware overdrive.' Fortunately there was an easy solution: Kathy and her colleague coordinated their shifts. 'I work from home when she goes in and vice versa,' said Kathy. 'It's a very small adjustment that means everyone is now happy.' Rabbits are a fairly tame choice of ESA. The Business Disability Forum (BDF) says it has helped employers respond to requests from employees who want to bring in miniature horses, pigs (pot-bellied), donkeys, cats, rabbits, reptiles (a python and an iguana) and even a peacock. ESA UK, a private registry where registrations have reached 11,000 since it was created in 2019, has bearded dragons on its books, as well as rats, gerbils and a range of birds. ESAs provide comfort and companionship to people with mental health conditions. Untrained, they largely offer emotional support through their presence. There is no recognised accreditation or database, but there is anecdotal evidence that ESA numbers are increasing: some GP practices are asked to sign so many letters of accreditation that they have started charging for the service. Pet chaos in courtrooms is now so common that the next edition of the Equal Treatment Bench Book, which provides advice to courts in England and Wales, will include guidance on the issue. ESA UK said employees were increasingly keen to take their pets to work and requests for their workplace assessment template had risen 80% in the last six years. Bela Gor, BDF's director of legal and content, said there has been an increase in ESA-related calls from employers. 'We currently get about two calls a month but each call is likely to be about more than one ESA: one employer had had requests from 10 different employees.' Gor said ESA peacocks, pigs and pythons were niche choices. 'Employers up and down the country are not dealing with daily requests from workers wanting to bring in their ESA peacocks,' she said. Just 3%, 330, of ESA UK's 11,000 animals are classed as unusual, but many organisations now specify which species of ESA they will allow. The Liberal Democrats, for example, will only accept ESA dogs at their party conferences. However, whether poodle or python, the Equality Act 2010 means employers must consider if they can make reasonable adjustments to enable employees with hidden disabilities, such as anxiety or PTSD, to bring certified ESAs into work. Gor said that whatever the species of ESA, it could be surprisingly simple for employers to make the necessary adjustments. But, she added, employers must decide what was reasonable – and this included taking into account colleagues with objections based on allergies, phobias or cultural beliefs. 'For instance, some people would have cultural objections to sharing an office space with a pig,' she said. Then there was the issue of how ESAs interacted with each other. 'Obviously it's not good if there's one ESA that could endanger the life of another ESA,' Gor said. Insurance was also key. 'If one employee is bitten by another employee's ESA, who is responsible?' she asked. While the evidence was anecdotal, ESA UK and the BDF said lockdown was a catalyst for people becoming dependent on their pets, as well as a growing awareness of mental health conditions. As to why people might choose a reptile over a retriever to calm their nerves, Doug Sanders, from ESA UK, suggested practical and personal factors. 'Space limitations or allergies may rule out dogs,' he said. 'Other animals, like reptiles, offer specific therapeutic benefits, such as calming effects for sensory issues.'
