the canine 'solution'

If there's a buck to be made, you know someone will want in on the action.

The National Institutes of Health reports that “studies have found that animals can reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support, and boost your mood”, and any pet owner can confirm that having an animal companion is one of the most effective non-pharmaceutical antidotes to anxiety you can get....

It’s easy to get your pet designated an emotional support animal. But abuse of the system takes a toll on those with genuine needs

If I had to guess, I guess I would guess that the sense of loneliness of the Binkie Generation (cell phone implanted in one hand) rose with the advent of the internet. "Friends" became the new friends without all the messiness of a human relationship. The trouble was, "friends" don't quite allay the sense of insularity and loneliness. Cure? Get a dog. An emotional support animal where emotional support dwindled and waned. Yo! This isn't just a dog -- it's an "emotional support animal."

With this, the "cure" of the internet is "cured" by yet another addition and this one doesn't talk back. Hell, a dog is a living being ... not just a "friend."

And there's gold in them thar canine hills! Hence the rise of the emotional support industry.

What would life be without a cell phone ....

Or a dog.....

Or the next placating addition to an oh-so-busy life? Buy a pill to ease the distress of the other pill that was purchased to ease the distress ... etc.