It was the first time that most of us had seen an emotional support animal, which his owner said she needed to help her cope with anxiety.

Since then, as a recent article in The New York Times reports, “The number of people claiming they have a right to live with animals for their mental health — as well as to take them onto planes and into restaurants and stores — has been growing rapidly.” Furthermore, the range of animals that provide emotional support has expanded to include geese, pigs, peacocks and even iguanas and snakes.

There seem to be three basic reasons for this uptick in support animals.