I just came across a wonderful story on the World Wide Web about a woman who boarded a plane in the States together with her pet, which was a sizable boar. They were allowed through security and onto the plane at the discretion of airline staff because the boar was taken to be an “emotional support animal” for the woman. Under a federal law of recent vintage, a wide variety of animals can qualify as providing such support, including monkeys and even miniature horses. Apparently, pigs are quite a popular choice, too. As it happened in this particular case, the woman and the boar were kicked out of the plane just before take-off because the pet got out of control. It paced around the cabin and frightened other passengers. According to the story, it also stunk out the cabin, as the expression goes. At any rate, the land of the free never ceases to amaze me. Emotional support animals offer much food for thought. Sooner or later, not too many Americans will be able to take a trip of any length without one of these magnificent creatures.