Arizona Man Registers Swarm Of Bees As Emotional Support Animals
Emotional support animals have become a bit of a sticky subject. What was once reserved for those who couldn't function without furry assistance has now become an excuse for almost anybody to let their dog poop in the lobby. Got a cold? Have a dog. Restless leg? Maybe a dog will settle things down. Where is the line drawn?
Recognizing how sticky things have become, an Arizona man set out to make them even stickier by registering the sweetest of all animals — bees. The craziest part? It actually worked.
According to Fox News, Prescott Valley, Ariz., resident David Keller became fed up with how easy it had become to apply for and register an emotional support animal after seeing a support dog that was completely untrained, so he decided to highlight the issue by registering a swarm of bees.
"I could very easily tell that it was not a service animal because it was pulling the owner to the parking lot," says Keller. "I was thinking that it's just too easy to get these animals to be service animals."
When the Bee team is your A-Squad
So Keller put his sting operation into effect, and it immediately became buzzworthy.
"A lot of people thought it was hilarious and a lot of people were getting upset," Keller told CBS affiliate WTRF-TV. He recently went on a website called USAServiceDogRegistration.com and successfully uploaded a random photo of a beehive as a service animal "to bring awareness to the issue that anyone could do this," he explains.
Bees aren't even considered a trainable support animal, despite making the cut — probably owing to the fact that they have no emotions themselves. However, the New York Post notes that "many other species are currently given the title, however, including a squirrel, peacock, monkey and alligator. Miniature horses remain cleared to fly as service animals, although emotional support dogs in tutus were recently booted off a flight after showing 'signs of distress.'"
Here's hoping that Keller's flight of fancy turns into more awareness regarding service animal training.