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Americans Debate Pets, Emotional Support Animals

时间:2022-04-12 08:03:50

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Americans Debate Pets, Emotional Support Animals

A man in New York state is facing a legal case that centers around his pet pig. Wyverne Flatt sees Ellie the potbellied pig not as a farm animal, but as "family." Ellie is an emotional support animal. She helped ease Flatt's suffering during the end of his marriage and the death of his mother.

But the village in Canajoharie, New York, where Flatt lives, sees Ellie differently. Officials say she is a farm animal and, as such, is barred from living within village borders.

Flatt's case is the latest in a series of debates about pets in American life. The major questions are: What kinds of animals may people own? What purposes may these animals serve? Where can they be kept and how may they be used?

Emotional support animals

Emotional support animals have become common in the U.S. in recent years.

The American Humane1 Society defines2 them as companion animals who help their owners deal with difficulties linked to mental health conditions. The pets provide comfort by their presence, the Society says.

But unlike service and therapy dogs, emotional support animals are not expected or trained to perform duties related to their owner's condition.

For years, airlines were required to permit emotional support animals to fly with their owners in the passenger areas of planes. But, in 2020, U.S. transportation officials said airlines could bar emotional support animals from flights.

Flatt's case

Flatt was living in South Carolina when he got Ellie in 2018. She was "about as big as a shoe," he said. Ellie is now about 50 kilograms.

She moved north with Flatt in 2019 when he bought a home in Canajoharie. In October that year, a village official visited Flatt's property. The official told Flatt that Ellie was legally barred from living there. Six months later, Ellie was still there. The village began legal action. Flatt was officially notified3 that he was in violation4 of a law banning farm animals in the village.

"I could never dream of giving away somebody who's part of my family," Flatt said recently as he patted the pig in his kitchen. "She's very smart. She's more intelligent than my dogs."

The village's legal filing calls the pig a possible public health risk. It also argues that openly ignoring housing rules leads to a lawless community.

The village also argues that it is willing to make reasonable accommodations, but that Flatt never met the legal requirements.

A trial was set to start on March 22, but it has been delayed. If found guilty, Flatt could face jail time or have the pig taken from him, his lawyer says.

Past debates

Flatt is not the first person to have issues with housing laws.

In 2019, a family in Buffalo5, New York, lost a case concerning their potbellied pig named Pork Chop. The family said Pork Chop was an emotional support animal for their daughter-in-law. But, a court ruled that Pork Chop had to live elsewhere. In Indiana, a year earlier, a woman was ordered to move her pig for similar reasons.

Still, many areas around the country permit pigs as pets. Some local laws set weight limits for pet pigs. Other laws permit only pot-bellied pigs.

Last month, Canajoharie approved a new, more detailed6 law concerning animal-keeping. Farm animals are still banned from living in the village. But, the new law provides clearer information on how residents can request a reasonable accommodation for emotional support animals.

Flatt said he has received offers from people to house Ellie outside the village, but he plans to fight to keep her.

Words in This Story

village – n. a small town in the country

accommodate7 – v. to provide what is needed or wanted for (someone or something); to have room for (someone or something)

reasonable accommodation – n. legal a change to the way things are usually done that allows an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job functions, or enjoy equal access to benefits (often in the workplace).


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1 humane Uymy0     
adj.人道的,富有同情心的
参考例句:
  • Is it humane to kill animals for food?宰杀牲畜来吃合乎人道吗?
  • Their aim is for a more just and humane society.他们的目标是建立一个更加公正、博爱的社会。
2 defines e5ce027803090c376e63626f7fc5c76b     
规定( define的第三人称单数 ); 使明确; 精确地解释; 画出…的线条
参考例句:
  • This name defines us all. 这个名字造就了我们。 来自演讲部分
  • The range of incomes over which this happens defines the 'poverty trap'. 发生在这种情况的收入范围,称为“贫困陷阱。”
3 notified e559ad34903d3d717a1488eaeed707f1     
通知,告知,报告( notify的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Competition winners will be notified by post. 将发信通知竞赛的优胜者。
  • I notified the post office that my address had changed. 我把变更的地址通知了邮局。
4 violation lLBzJ     
n.违反(行为),违背(行为),侵犯
参考例句:
  • He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说,那是违反规则的。
  • He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。
5 buffalo 1Sby4     
n.(北美)野牛;(亚洲)水牛
参考例句:
  • Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
  • The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。
6 detailed xuNzms     
adj.详细的,详尽的,极注意细节的,完全的
参考例句:
  • He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
  • A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。
7 accommodate HJNyt     
vt.容纳,向...提供住处,使适应,顺应
参考例句:
  • You should soon accommodate yourself to the new circumstance.你应尽快适应新环境。
  • Are there enough shelves to accommodate all our books?有足够的书架容纳我们所有的书吗?

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