Hi, my name is Shelley04!

Shelley04

Curious if anyone here has looked into alternative assistance animals.

Really struggling to find guidance on smaller, low-maintenance options.

Any chance a hermit crab could be trained for emotional support?

Been reading that they recognise their owners and react to stimuli.

Just wondering if this would be covered under UK assistance animal laws.

Or if anyone has ever tried something similar?

Knowing whether this is even possible would be helpful.

Everything I’ve found so far is about dogs and cats.

Kimi87

The only law the UK has covers assistance dogs.

Any emotional support pet is not covered by law, nor is there any official register.

Hopeless

My GP lists my guinea pigs as ‘protective factors’ which recognises how important they are for my well-being and how much more at risk I would be without them. I think that’s about as far as smaller animal recognition goes