Many people often lose sight of the fact that celebrities are people too. We see these individuals on television and in movies. We listen to their songs. They have millions of followers and fans across the globe. However, at the end of the day, celebrities are really just people that have more fame and fortune than most.
They are not perfect. They are just as susceptible to physical, mental, and emotional plight as everyone else. As a result, they too can come to rely on their pets for love and emotional support.
So, yes! Celebrities are just as likely to have an emotional support animal as you!
This is important because there can be a bit of a social stigma attached with owning an emotional support animal (ESA).
Oftentimes, people do not want to admit to themselves that they suffer from mental illness such as depression and do not receive the treatment that they need as a result.
Celebrities are important figures because they eliminate social stigmas. So when people see that a famous actor or musician has an emotional support animal, they are more likely to get one as well.
To recap, an emotional support animal is an animal offers support to an owner who has a mental or emotional health condition by reducing their owner’s anxiety and the feelings of alienation.
This is not to be confused with a service animal or service dog, which refers to an animal or dog that is trained to complete a specific task that an owner is unable to complete on their own due to disability.
Emotional support animals make the world a more loving place for their owners and these celebrities in particular know firsthand.
1. Carrie Fisher
The late Carrie Fisher is most known for playing Princess Leia in the Star Wars movies but she is also the most important celebrity for the ESA community. Fisher was very transparent about her struggles with mental illness and addiction throughout her career. This motivated her to own emotional support animal, a French Bulldog named Gary, who helped her with her symptoms of bipolar disorder.
Right up until her death in 2016, Gary was always right by her side. He even appeared with her at autograph signing events and red carpet appearances. This publicly displayed relationship that Fisher had with her emotional support animal helped many individuals who had been suffering in silence take that next step in getting their own ESA. Today, Gary has his own Twitter account. You can follow him here!
2. Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez has been relatively transparent about her struggles with anxiety and depression ever since she cancelled the tail-end of her Revival Tour. She relies on 6 dogs for comfort and emotional support, most of which are rescues.
Fun Fact: She organized emotional support animals (dogs) to be available on the set of the Netflix drama Thirteen Reasons Why. Since the series deals with a lot of emotional issues, she figured that the cast would benefit from playing with dogs during breaks.
3. Bradley Cooper
Yes! Bradley Cooper has an emotional support animal. He is a Labradoodle named Charlie. In fact, he loves him so much that he even cast him in one of the most acclaimed films of 2018, A Star is Born.
4. Miley Cyrus
The famous pop singer was very transparent about the emotional trauma she experienced when she suddenly lost her dog Floyd, an Alaskan Klee Kai. Since then, she has relied on several dogs for comfort and emotional support. She can be scene cuddling them on her Instagram Stories.
5. Ryan Gosling
Ryan Gosling had a dog named George who was registered as an emotional support animal. This is how he was able to take him everywhere, including on flights and even to TV appearances. Even though he passed away, his memory lives on. To this day, Gosling wears George’s dog tag as a necklace. He even wore a t-shirt with George’s picture on it when he hosted Saturday Night Live.
6. Britney Spears
Britney Spears has 5 dogs that she relies upon for emotional support. They regularly accompany her everywhere she goes and are constantly showing up all over her social media!
7. Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande has been very open about her struggles with mental illness, in particular – PTSD after the terrorist attack in Manchester during one of her concerts. Thus, she is always traveling with her dogs. Recently, she started traveling with a tiny pig, which she named Piggie Smalls. When someone on Twitter pointed out that these small pigs are illegal in New York City, she responded that the pig is actually a registered emotional support animal (ESA) for her!
8. Henry Cavill
Superman has an emotional support animal? You bet! For years, the tabloids have photographed pictures of Henry Cavill and his emotional support animal, an Akita named Ka-El, in airports when he has traveled. His dog is always wearing his certified ESA vest that states: “Working. Do not pet. Emotional Support Dog.” You can get a similar vest here.
Although Cavilll’s specific diagnosis has never been disclosed, it has been suggested that he has a fear of flying and his ESA helps makes flights more bearable for him.
Bonus- Oprah
Although Oprah does not own an emotional support animal herself, she is worth mentioning because she has been a big-time proponent of using pets to improve mental health and well-being. For years, her magazine and website have included articles talking about the ways in which pets can help us live happier and healthier lives.